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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bryan Lentz
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Lentz's school safety legislation advances out of committee
Would create a statewide hotline designed to protect students and anonymity of callers
HARRISBURG, Sept. 17 – The House Education Committee reported out legislation today introduced by state Rep. Bryan Lentz, D-Delaware, that would increase protections for school children throughout Pennsylvania and reduce the likelihood of a large-scale tragedy like the Columbine massacre from occurring in the Commonwealth.
Under Lentz's legislation, the Pennsylvania
Department of Education’s Office for Safe Schools would have the power and duty
to develop telephone hotlines that would ensure the anonymity of callers. These
hotlines could be used by any member of the community – but especially students
– to report dangerous situations involving schools to the appropriate authorities.
"All too often students learn of a potentially volatile situation, but are afraid of the consequences they may suffer if they come forward to authorities," Lentz said. "My legislation would give students, parents and community members the ability to anonymously defuse a situation before it gets out of control."
Lentz said it is not uncommon for students to know about potential violent events before they occur, but they often do not share the information because they are afraid. An anonymous hotline would remove that threat. Similar programs exist in other states such as Alabama, Colorado and Michigan.
"Columbine proved to be a very unfortunate example of where we've failed in protecting students from danger," Lentz said. "Two students who were ostracized by their peers day in and day out lashed out in a very deadly manner. There may have been rumors or obvious signs, but students had no safe place to take those concerns. My proposal would provide a safe outlet for them."
Lentz's proposed hotline initiative is patterned after Colorado’s Safe2Tell campaign. He explained that students or others who have information about a crime that has happened, or think something bad could potentially happen, use the number. This includes, but is not limited to, gang activity, guns or other weapons, drugs or alcohol, fights, suicide threats, bullying or sex crimes.
Lentz explained that upon making initial contact with the Colorado hotline, a staff member assigns the caller a code number used to track the tip information. All tips are immediately investigated by appropriate school and/or law enforcement officials.
According to a July 2004 report conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education, the following information was discovered:
- in 81 percent of school attacks, at least one person had information that the attacker was thinking about or planning the incident;
- there is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence;
- many attackers felt bullied, persecuted or injured by others prior to the attack; and
- most attackers had no history of prior violent or criminal behavior.
The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
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