Bill Text: NJ SR60 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges Attorney General and Department of Education to regularly update "Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1" and "School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines."
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Education Committee [SR60 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-SR60-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator PARKER SPACE
District 24 (Morris, Sussex and Warren)
SYNOPSIS
Urges Attorney General and Department of Education to regularly update "Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1" and "School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines."
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
A Senate Resolution urging the Attorney General and the Department of Education to update certain school security guidance documents.
Whereas, Ensuring a safe and protected learning environment for our State's school children is of paramount importance; and
Whereas, In the last several years, various State agencies, task forces, and committees have issued reports and other documents containing recommendations and guidance designed to improve the safety and security of New Jersey's schools; and
Whereas, In September 2004, the New Jersey Department of Education issued the "School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines" to assist schools in establishing security measures including, but not limited to, convening school planning teams; developing protocols for school building access control; implementing school perimeter security measures; collaborating with local law enforcement and government officials; and updating school communications procedures and emergency plans; and
Whereas, The School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines was updated and expanded in 2007 to incorporate information on additional security topics, including site-specific vulnerability assessments, target hardening and mitigation measures, communication protocols, crisis response, and gang awareness; and
Whereas, In July 2007, the Attorney General of New Jersey issued "Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1," which required every law enforcement agency in the State to maintain policies and procedures to enhance school security and safety in the subject areas of bomb threats, active shooter response, school lockdowns, school evacuations, and public information; and
Whereas, Following the issuance of Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1, model policies in each of the subject areas were distributed to law enforcement agencies to assist them in implementing the directive; and
Whereas, The Department of Education's School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines and the Attorney General's Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1 have not been subject to any significant review or revision since 2007; and
Whereas, Given the vital importance of school safety and security in today's age, it is prudent for these documents to reflect the most current information on best practices in school security for both school personnel and law enforcement; and
Whereas,
Ensuring that law enforcement officials and school personnel are equipped with
up-to-date information on best practices for school security will assist in the
prevention and mitigation of school safety emergencies, as well as improving
response times when an emergency does occur; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the New Jersey Department of Education to review and revise, as appropriate and on a regular basis, the "School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines" in order to ensure that the manual reflects the most current information on best practices to assist schools in establishing plans and procedures to enhance school safety and security.
2. This House respectfully urges the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey to review and revise, as appropriate and on a regular basis, "Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1" and its companion model policies in order to ensure that they reflect the most current information on best practices to assist law enforcement agencies in enhancing school safety and security.
3. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Justice, and the President of the United States.
STATEMENT
This resolution urges the Department of Education to regularly review and revise the "School Safety and Security Manual: Best Practices Guidelines" in order to ensure that school personnel are equipped with the most current information on best practices for school safety and security. In addition, the resolution urges the New Jersey Attorney General to regularly review and revise "Law Enforcement Directive No. 2007-1" and the model policies that were distributed to law enforcement agencies to assist them in implementing the directive. These documents have not been subject to significant review or revision since 2007. Given the vital importance of school safety and security in today's age, the documents should reflect the most current information on best practices in school safety and security for both school personnel and law enforcement.
