Taking Steps to Make Schools Safer

With school shootings becoming more frequent, New Jersey school districts could soon have another option to help keep students, teachers and support staff safe.

The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee has released a measure that would establish a new category of “Class Three” special law enforcement officers, under the Special Law Enforcement Officers Act.

Under the bill, Class Three special officers would be retired police officers younger than 65 years old, and they’d be authorized to provide security during normal school hours or when it’s occupied by students and teachers.

The legislation also stipulates these officers would respond to offenses or emergencies off school grounds while traveling to a school. In addition, they would be have the full powers similar to a regular police officer while providing security.

They would not, however, receive the same level of pay as a School Resource Officer – a career law enforcement officer with sworn authority, deployed in community-oriented policing, and assigned by the employing police department or agency to work in collaboration with schools. Also, they would not receive the health and pension benefits of a School Resource Officer either.

During testimony before the committee, Denville Police Chief Chris Wagner, president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, said from January to October of last year there were 52 school shootings in the U.S., with 30 people killed and 53 people injured. He told members of the committee the shootings occurred on 21 college campuses, 15 high schools, three middle schools, 10 elementary schools, two pre-schools and once on a school bus.

The chief said the Special Law Enforcement Officers Act is necessary.

“We will not be immune from these statistical events, but we can take action to minimize the injury and death, or even stop the event from happening altogether. While there may be unfortunately no antidote for stopping crime, we know that uniformed police officers definitely act as a deterrent to crime,” Wagner said.

He also said “placing a fully uniformed, equipped, armed and most importantly trained Class Three police officer in our schools will make our teachers, school staff, and our most precious citizens of our state, children safe.”

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