The International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League and the Clery Center, has released the new resource Combating Hate Crimes on College and University Campuses: Essential Considerations for Public Safety Officials. According to IACLEA, the "resource provides campus police and public safety with best practices for addressing hate crimes and incidents. It includes guidance for identifying hate crimes, recommendations to enhance communication before and after a hate crime or bias incident occurs, and information on where hate crimes should be reported."

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency's preparedness topic for July is All-Hazard Mitigation. With the recent release of the Combating Hate Crimes on College and University Campuses: Essential Considerations for Public Safety Officials resource, we are starting off All-Hazard Mitigation Month by focusing on school violence.

With bullying, mental health and wellness issues, overwhelming amounts of stressors (including the pandemic), and tragic precedents, the fear of school violence is not unfounded. Furthermore, according to the CDC, a 2019 survey showed that "8% of high school students had been in a physical fight on school property one or more times during the 12 months before the survey," "more than 7% of high school students had been threatened or injured with a weapon (for example, a gun, knife, or club) on school property one or more times during the 12 months before the survey," and "about 9% of high school students had not gone to school at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey because they felt they would be unsafe at school or on their way to or from school." 

In an effort to help prevent and mitigate school violence, the school violence section of the Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center includes resources on several school violence topics. From school climate and connectedness; to promoting the See Something, Say Something campaign; to knowing what steps to take in the event of a bomb threat, the school violence section of the website addresses various forms of school violence by providing information including statistics, handouts, and other resources.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is promoting the training Campus Safety Training Program: Student Reunification. According to the COPS Office, the class "is an interactive course that provides an overview of the student reunification process. It reviews the various types of situations that require reunification and key reunification terminology. Additionally, roles required for successful reunification are explored, and recommendations about training stakeholders and practicing a reunification plan are provided." The primary audience for the class includes law enforcement, SROs, K-12 administrators and educators, and individuals in the emergency management field. For more information, click here.