TRENTON – Senator John A. Girgenti said today that requiring our educators to undergo gang violence training in order to spot signs of gang activity in their students is crucial for protecting New Jersey from gangs.
“We must join in the collaborative efforts of those on the front lines who are fighting every day for safer streets and schools,” said Senator Girgenti, D-Bergen and Passaic. “We can no longer sit back and simply allow gang members to recruit our children. We need to be able to spot the warning signs of gang membership early on, in the hopes of rescuing our youth from the clutches of the gang lifestyles.”
Senator Girgenti’s measure, S-1748, would require the Attorney General, in coordination with the Commissioner of Education, to develop seminars to teach educators to spot signs of gang activity and student involvement in gangs. The bill would require that a seminar be held annually in each county and all public and nonpublic school administrators would be required to attend a seminar.
Senator Girgenti said early intervention is the key to gaining the upper hand on gangs in New Jersey.
The bill was released today from the Senate Law, Public safety and Veterans Affairs’ Committee of which Senator Girgenti is chairman.
The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.