What we do …
Every two-three months for the past five years, Michigan State University – School of Criminal Justice has facilitated the Michigan Safe School Initative Workgroup. This group is comprised of representatives from the Governor’s Office, the Attorney General’s Office, the Michigan Department of Education, Michigan State Police (Emergency Management and Prevention Services), the Office of Drug Control Policy and the Department of Human Services. There are also University Partners involved including the School of Criminal Justice, College of Education, School of Social Work as well as Wayne State University and Ferris State. We also have numerous associations (Michigan Educational Alliance), various schools and law enforcement agencies as well as school security experts.
During our meetings, we have two or three presentations on “best practices” relative to school safety or issues that law enforcement/schools should consider. In addition, we have departmental updates where each agency highlights what they are doing relative to school safety (informational sharing), as well as a legislative and legal update.
Grants Resulting from the direct work of the Michigan Safe School Initative (MSSI):
- In Michigan, school buildings were identified as critical infrastructures, allowing them to directly benefit from $9.3 Million in Homeland Security grant dollars. The 2003 State Homeland Security Grant required schools to conduct a risk analysis of their school as part of their requirement.
- In 2005, Michigan school buildings received an additional $4 million dollars in Homeland Security Dollars to purchase equipment items, as approved by the Office for Domestic Preparedness, to enhance building security, visitor access and communications capabilities.
- In 2007, Michigan school building will receive Homeland Security Dollars to purchase communication devices, training for bus drivers, secretaries and facility managers on emergency management, as well as conduct a risk analysis of non-public schools across the state.
Major Accomplishments
- The MSSI has organized two legislative luncheons on PA 102/No Child Left Behind and Bullying.
- Helped create the Statewide School Safety Hotline in 2003.
- We have hosted numerous statewide conferences bringing first responders and schools together.
- The School of Criminal Justice coordinated training relative to the State Homeland Security Grants for Schools ($9.3 Million and the $4 Million directly earmarked to schools).
- Distribute over 7,000 Safe School Folders to every school principal in Michigan (public, private, charter and ISDs), every Superintendent and local School Board President, DARE, TEAM and SROs, Safe and Drug Free School Coordinators as well as law enforcement agencies across the state. These Safe School folders contain sample school safety pledges (elementary, middle/high school, a pledge for parents and one for teachers, administrators, and staff), as well as suggested activities schools can use during the week, fact sheets on effective crisis planning, bullying, the role of the bystander relative to bullying, the statewide hotline, the Homeland Security Advisory System, the Family Preparedness Guide as well as sample resolutions, registration forms, press releases and information about the Safe School kick-off event.
- We developed a survey tool to assess the background, training and experience of officers who work in schools in partnership with MCOLES, the Michigan Regional Policing Institute, the Office of Drug Control Policy and the State Police.
- Coordinated the Michigan Safe School Week Press Conference in which the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Colonel of Michigan State Police, the Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Representative William VanRegenmorter discuss school safety. In one year, we had 132,000 students, teachers, parents and administrators across the state sign a safety pledge vowing to keep their schools safe. This kick-off event has occurred for the past 5 years.
- Members of the legislature approached the MSSI and asked for suggestions regarding school safety. As a result of the recommendations from the workgroup, House Bill 4460 (Public Act 187) and Senate Bill 1108 (Public Act 337) requiring schools to conduct lock-down drills was introduced and eventually signed into law (after hearings in the House and the Senate). It is now a state mandate that schools conduct lock-down drills and that a couple of the “all-hazard drills” are conducted during a lunch period, recess or anytime when the students are not in the classroom. These are the first laws in the nation mandating lock-down drills for schools. This legislation is considered a national model.
- At the request of the Emergency Management Division of the State Police, the MSSI is helping to develop the lock-down model policy that will be distributed state-wide to every school (public, private, charter), every law enforcement agency as well as every association that deals with school safety. We will help facilitate the distribution.
- In 2006, a task force was formed out of the MSSI to research and develop a K-12 curriculum for law enforcement that would effectively communicate with youth in the schools regarding bullying and violence.
- A training, “Law Enforcement’s Approach to Bullying” toolkit was created to provide officers with materials and information to assist them in establishing an anti-bullying program in schools. The training was conducted in August 2007. Approximately, 135 officers from across the state completed the workshop. Several additional trainings have been conducted.
History
March 10, 2003 - Organized a legislative luncheon at the Anderson House Office Building on Safe Schools Issues. The purpose of the forum was to update the key legislative offices on the federal and state legislative requirements relative to school safety, discuss the issue of persistently dangerous schools, Public Act 102 of 1999 and the School Safety Legislation as well as school crisis planning. We had approximately 35 key legislators and staff attend.
April 16-17, 2003 – Coordinated a two-day statewide conference, “Shared Responsibility for Student Safety.” The conference was designed to encourage, develop and enhance school – community based safety teams. 256 individuals from across the state participated in the conference.
October 2003 – Organized the Third Annual Safe School Week (October 19-25) Kick-off at the State Capitol. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Colonel of MSP, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Representative VanRegenmorter participated in the press conference. 79,814 students from across the state participated in the pledge signing ceremony.
2003 – A School Violence Hotline was established (1-800-815-TIPS). This hotline provides the means for student to anonymously report specific threats of imminent school violence of other suspicious or criminal conduct. The hotline is operational 24-hours per day, 365-days a year by the Michigan State Police Operations Center.
2003 - In Michigan, school buildings were identified as critical infrastructures, allowing them to directly benefit from $9.3 Million in Homeland Security grant dollars. The 2003 State Homeland Security Grant required schools to conduct a risk analysis of their school as part of their requirement.
October/November 2003 – Coordinated 8 statewide trainings on “Homeland Security Executive Seminar: Are Our Schools Prepared?” The training involved Chiefs and Sheriffs, Superintendents, the School Board Presidents, Local Government Head and the Emergency Management Coordinators. This involved 884 individuals.
March 24-26 and May 17-19, 2004 – The MSSI developed a three-day workshop to assist schools with the requirements necessary to effectively complete this component of the grant. The trainings entitled “School Risk Analysis Workshop: A Do-It-Yourself Tool Kit for Homeland Security Grantee Teams.” This involved 61 individuals.
April/May, 2004 – Coordinated three statewide trainings on “Schools at Code Red: What a School Community Needs to Know” which was a 2003 State Homeland Security Grant Planning Workshop. The purpose was to familiarize participants with the training exercise process and provide a hands-on training for exercise facilitators such that they will be able to facilitate an orientation, a tabletop exercise, and the needs assessment. This involved 190 individuals.
October 17-24, 2004 - Coordinated the Michigan Safe School Week Press Conference with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Colonel of MSP, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Representative VanRegenmorter participating in the press conference. We had over 132,000 students, teachers, parents and administrators signed a pledge form to keep their schools safe.
January 2005 – Representative VanRegenmorter contacted the coordinator of the Michigan Safe School Initiative and requested input on any legislative needs regarding school safety. The MSSI suggested requiring lock-down drills for schools.
March 8, 2005 - Representative VanRegenmorter introduces House Bill 4460.
In 2005 – Michigan school buildings received an additional $4 million dollars in Homeland Security Dollars to purchase equipment items, as approved by the Office for Domestic Preparedness, to enhance building security, visitor access and communications capabilities.
November 6-12, 2005 - Coordinated the Michigan Safe School Week Press Conference with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Colonel of MSP, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Representative VanRegenmorter participating in the press conference. We had over 83,000 students, teachers, parents and administrators sign a pledge form to keep their schools safe.
February/March 2006 – Coordinated two workshops for law enforcement and teachers entitled, “Classroom Management for Resource Officers” - 48 law enforcement officers were trained.
March 21, 2006 – Coordinated the workshop for law enforcement and teachers, “Gang-Like Behavior in Schools: What is Real; What is Not” - 28 participates attended.
March 22, 2006 – The MSSI co-sponsored and participated in a one-day legislative Forum entitled “Today's Bully & Anti-Bully Tactics.” Over 145 legislators, staff, and key stakeholders attended the meeting.
June 16, 2006 - House Bill 4460 (PA 187) was signed into law requiring schools to conduct lock-down drills. The bill became effective on June 19, 2006.
July 31, 2006 – the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division sent out a statewide letter stating that they would be partnering with the Michigan Safe School Initaitive to develop the model policy for conducting and coordinating lock-down drills. This lock-down drill requirement is the first in the nation.
August 15, 2006 – Senate Bill 1108 (PA 337) was signed into law requiring schools to conduct some of the drills required during lunch or recess, or at other times when a significant number of students were gathered but not in the classroom.
August, 2006 – the MSSI in partnership with MSP – Prevention Services is in the process of developing a model curriculum for all officers on the issue of “Bullying”.
September, 2006 – Mailed out over 7,000 Safe School Folders across the state
November 5-12, 2006 - Coordinated the Michigan Safe School Week Press Conference with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Colonel of MSP, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Representative VanRegenmorter participating in the press conference. We had over 115,730 students, teachers, parents and administrators sign a pledge form to keep their schools safe.
November 8, 2006 – Completed the Model Protocol for the lock-down/shelter-in-place templates. We worked with community partners to distribute the materials to every school in Michigan. We established networks to distribute the information to every principal, superintendent, facility manager, school board president and all law enforcement agencies (State Police, Chiefs of Police and Sheriff’s Association) as well as the emergency managers and every fire chief in the state. The model was distributed after the Department of Education, the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth signed off on the project.
August, 2006 – the MSSI in partnership with MSP – Prevention Services is in the process of developing a model curriculum for all officers on the issue of “Bullying”.
September, 2007 – Mailed out over 7,000 Safe School booklets across the state
November 4-10, 2007 - Coordinated the Michigan Safe School Week Press Conference with the Department of Education, the Colonel of MSP, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy and Sherri Jones participating in the press conference. We had over 80,000 students, teachers, parents and administrators sign a pledge form to keep their schools safe.
Future Workshops – we are in the process of conducting a one-day workshop with the National Threat Assessment of the Secret Service on the Role of the Bystander in School Shootings.
We would like to do a legislative luncheon with the newly elected representatives regarding school safety.
Our goal is to continue to build trainings that are designed to bring schools, law enforcement, fire, and emergency management together.