TRENTON – A measure sponsored by Senator Fred H. Madden that would provide training for safe schools resource officers and public school employees serving as liaisons to law enforcement has been approved by the Senate Education Committee.
“According to State Education officials, violence has decreased in our schools in recent years,” said Senator Madden, D-Camden and Gloucester. “This decrease can be partly attributed to the presence of safe school officers and police presence in or near our schools. By providing additional training, these officers will be able to help further reduce violence and help make schools safer for our children.”
Senator Madden’s measure, S-2162, would require the Division of Criminal Justice’s Police Training Commission to work with the Attorney General to develop a training course to help ensure that more school employees are skilled in current school resource officer concepts and practices. Courses would be open to any law enforcement officer or public school employee referred by the local board of education in districts seeking a safe school resource officer or school law enforcement liaison, and to any current safe school resource officer or school law enforcement liaison.
Following the development of the training course, boards of education would be prohibited from assigning safe schools resource officers or school law enforcement liaisons that have not completed the course.
“How can students learn effectively if they are constantly in fear of violence in their schools ?” said Senator Madden. “Protecting our children must be our top priority.”
The measure now awaits a vote by the full Senate.