RHODE ISLAND POLICE CHIEFS’ ASSOCATION COMMITTEE ON BASIC SCHOOL SAFETY PROTOCOLS

Today, the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association issued the RIPCA School Safety Committee Report. From their opening remarks ….

School shootings have an enormous impact on our communities and our children.
These events and the impact on our communities often lead to calls for school
administrators and law enforcement officials to “do something” quickly to protect
our children in school. Hasty and reactive decision-making often results in the
implementation of new policies and the adoption of new equipment and
technology based on emotion without guidance from law enforcement
professionals. One thing is abundantly clear: we all want to do something in
response to the mass killing of our children in schools. However, as a collective
body of law enforcement professionals and dedicated educators and
administrators we need to ensure we get it right.

Understanding this challenge, the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association
established the Basic School Safety Committee to offer this law enforcement
perspective. The intent of the Committee is to provide guidance for the most
essential actions school districts and law enforcement agencies can take to
reduce the risk of attacks in our schools. The cost and ability to implement some
of these strategies may vary between districts.