Did You Know...

09-20-07 All of the Vernonia Schools are in full swing as are all of the fall activities in and around the schools. Remember to observe the 20mph Speed Zone between 7am and 5pm. Watch for numerous pedestrians before and after school as well as in the evenings given the various activities occurring on campus. Be patient with all of the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic. On the topic of schools, the Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers participated in the National School and Campus Safety Task Force that was formed in an effort to reduce deficiencies and vulnerabilities to violence on school and college campuses. In a fourteen page report the task force made recommendations that address threat assessment, protocols for dealing with the mentally ill, information sharing among law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders, and crisis response planning/communication. Give the tragedy at Virginia Tech and numerous of high-profile school shootings I paid particular attention to these recommendations. Even though we have a smaller school district you never know when or if an incident could occur. Some of the task force recommendations are as follows: need to establish a system to report disturbing behavior to teams and that everyone is made aware of the reporting mechanism; state and federal lawmakers should examine and remove barriers of various privacy policies; increased funding to create, maintain, and update emergency plans at schools; schools should implement multi-point communication systems using existing technology to contact as many people as quickly as possible; mechanisms for anonymous reporting of perceived threats; and bullying prevention measures, including cyber bullying. If you would like more information you can go to www.doj.state.or.us We are currently are in the third and final 3-Flags Blitz Safety Campaign which goes from September 10th to 23rd. VPD officers will be working enhanced patrols and overtime hours funded by grant monies. Please use your safety belts and use extra caution as the weather starts to change. Remember that Oregon was one of 11 states in 2006 that achieved over 90% seatbelt use compliance. Let's keep up that percentage!