Law enforcement intervention threshold

vast majority of incidents or concerns that are likely to be reported can be handled by school personnel using school or community resources.

Some of these common reports may not require the involvement of law enforcement.

Those that do warrant law enforcement intervention include threats of violence and planned school attacks, which constituted Safe2Tell’s sixth and seventh most common types of reports, respectively.

Reports regarding student behaviors involving weapons, threats of violence, physical violence, or concerns about an individual’s safety should immediately be reported to local law enforcement.

This is one reason why including a school resource officer or local law enforcement officer on the Team is beneficial.

If a school resource officer is not available to serve on the Team, schools should set a clear threshold for times and situations when law enforcement will be asked to support or take over an assessment.

For example, it might be necessary to have law enforcement speak with a student’s parent or guardian, search a student’s person or possessions, or collect additional information about the student or situation outside the school community during the assessment.

Notify law enforcement immediately if a student is thinking about or planning to engage in violence, so that they may assist in managing the situation.

The administrator reported that he would have alerted their school resource officer and local sheriff’s office if he had safety concerns about the student, but instead the school worked with community services to provide access to resources and supports, including transportation services for his father to his medical appointments so the student could attend tutoring sessions, and counseling and support services that would assist the student after his father’s passing.

Officers and school staff might benefit from attending training together so that all parties are aware of the point at which local law enforcement should be involved in an investigation. This would also allow officers to get to know administrators, teachers, counselors, facilities and maintenance personnel, and other school staff.