NCJ Number
219054
Journal
Campus Law Enforcement Journal Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Dated: May/June 2007 Pages: 24-24
Editor(s)
Peter J. Berry CAE,
Lynn Sedlak
Date Published
May 2007
Length
1 page
Annotation
A Gubernatorial Task Force for University Campus Safety appointed by Florida's Governor Charlie Crist in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings has concluded that greater information sharing should occur both on campus and with local authorities, especially when a student is determined to be at risk of harming others.
Abstract
As a result of testimony at 6 public hearings, the task force developed 63 recommendations for improving safety and security at Florida's institutions of higher education. Also, 12 best practices were identified. These are recommended for sharing within the State and throughout the Nation. Five recommendations pertain to Federal action. One recommendation is that the U.S. Department of Education develop and promote best practices for universities and colleges to use in preventing, intervening in, responding to, and recovering from crisis situations. A second recommendation is that the Federal Government identify new initiatives for funding college mental health efforts and expand existing programs. A third recommendation is that the Federal Government increase its support for national initiatives in preventing underage drinking, substance abuse, suicide, bullying, domestic and dating violence, and other violent or destructive behaviors. A fourth recommendation is that the U.S. Justice Department increase funding for its Community Oriented Policing Services Office, with attention to campus law enforcement personnel, technology, training, and innovative community-based programs. Finally, the Department of Homeland Security should add a university and college critical incident scenario to its National Planning Scenario List and develop a Universal Task List and a Target Capabilities List for this scenario, so as to guide future training.