News Summary
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signed House Bill 2074 to enhance school safety by allowing schools to hire retired law enforcement officers as resource officers. The bipartisan bill addresses staffing shortages in schools and mandates proper training for officers on interactions with students with disabilities. It also allows schools flexibility in using safety funds and requires the creation of customized emergency response plans. The collaboration highlights a comprehensive approach to improve safety in educational institutions across Arizona.
PHOENIX — Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has signed House Bill 2074, a legislative measure aimed at enhancing safety within schools across the state by expanding the Arizona School Safety Program. This new law will allow schools to hire retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers, addressing critical staffing shortages that have left many institutions without adequate security personnel.
The bill, approved with bipartisan support, addresses the ongoing concern of safety in schools amid increasing demands for more law enforcement presence. Currently, many schools in Arizona are resorting to sharing school resource officers due to a significant lack of available law enforcement personnel. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne highlighted that the inclusion of retired officers who have left their posts in good standing is a logical solution to bolster security measures.
As part of the new legislation, designated school districts are now required to ensure that any hired officers receive proper training on how to interact with students who have disabilities. This is crucial in fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
The bill provides schools with the flexibility to utilize funds from the safety program for various safety upgrades, training, or technology if they are unable to fill officer positions due to ongoing shortages. This provision aims to make sure that schools can still enhance their safety measures, even in the face of personnel challenges.
In addition to these new provisions, the legislation mandates the tracking of grant money usage by schools and requires them to conduct updated safety assessments. Such requirements are intended to promote accountability and ensure that safety resources are being used effectively. Rep. Matt Gress, the sponsor of HB 2074, noted that the law aims to effectively utilize the approximately $33 million of previously unused safety grant funding for better purposes.
Moreover, the legislation requires schools to develop and submit customized emergency response plans tailored to their specific campus needs. This move is expected to enhance preparedness and response capabilities in the event of emergencies.
At present, approximately 300 school resource officers and 700 school safety officers are active in Arizona schools. Under the new expanded program, these numbers could significantly increase, improving the overall safety landscape within educational institutions across the state.
The crafting of this bill involved collaboration with various stakeholders, including educators and mental health professionals, indicating a comprehensive approach to tackling school safety. The recognition of safety as a multifaceted issue has made the development of such legislative measures all the more important in the current climate.
House Bill 2074 signifies an essential step toward bolstering school safety in Arizona. It aims to equip schools with necessary personnel and resources to create safe environments conducive to learning, reflecting a broader recognition of the importance of security within the educational system.
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Additional Resources
- KTAR News
- Hoodline
- KVOA
- AZCentral
- AZFamily
- Wikipedia: School Safety
- Google Search: Arizona School Safety Law
- Google Scholar: School Safety Legislation
- Encyclopedia Britannica: School Safety
- Google News: Arizona School Safety
