School Safety Resolution
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association acknowledges School Safety as a priority in our nation’s counties, parishes, cities, etc. and America’s schools are critical infrastructure and key assets to our communities; and
WHEREAS, School Safety and security remains a priority of the National Sheriffs’ Association; and
WHEREAS, enhancing physical security of school facilities and improving incident response are priorities; and
WHEREAS, hardening (layered security) and making each classroom and our schools a protected space must become a priority; and
WHEREAS, among those efforts are priorities to enhance immediate notifications directly to emergency public service access points (E911); and
WHEREAS, school emergency systems should be required and enable interoperable video, voice and data communications among schools, first responders and other vested stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, by implementing these technologies students are better protected in the event of an active shooter event; and
WHEREAS, law enforcement response can be greatly enhanced to mitigate serious bodily injuries and loss of life; and
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association recognizes intervention and prevention as critical components to enhancing school safety, including the following recommendations as standard practice toward the prevention and mitigation of school violence:
- Protective Measures - Provide training for all faculty and staff in the recognition of potential violence indicators, situational awareness, preoperational surveillance, anomalies, baselines, and other protective measures to prevent, recognize, and respond to threats of violence.
- Behavioral Assessment - Introduce a select interdisciplinary behavioral assessment team tasked with the assessment and management of internal and observable concerning behavior
- Sustainable Intervention – Provide training for all faculty and staff in a manageable and deliberate process to facilitate appropriate and effective intervention of current and emerging threats pertaining to individual(s) that are identified and make appropriate referrals.
- Timely Detection - Provide training to all faculty and staff in the timely detection of specific pre-attack behaviors and the procedures for managing those behaviors ; and
WHEREAS, this strategy calls for an increase in the number of highly trained School Resource Officers with a committed purpose to law enforcement and security; and
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association believes all school threats and crimes committed on school property should be shared information with all stakeholders; and
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association strongly supports national school safety guidelines and standards that follow best practices, as recommended by America’s sheriffs; and
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association feels national school safety guidelines will encourage America’s schools to make school safety a more uniform system and priority in their communities; and
WHEREAS, the National Sheriffs’ Association also recognizes all communities have different needs in securing their schools;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Sheriffs’ Association establishes that our schools are a part of our critical infrastructure and should be protected as well as government buildings, thereby securing our most important assets which are “Our Children”.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Sheriffs’ Association will create National School Safety Guidelines following best practices, as recommended by America’s sheriffs, in creating a layered school safety system that prioritize making each classroom and each school a protected space.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the National Sheriffs’ Association urges Congress, state legislatures and county governments to appropriate funding necessary to allow America’s communities to enhance safer schools and follow best practices as recommended by the National Sheriffs’ Association.
Amended --- October 16, 2019
Indianapolis, Indiana
