Score: +1
(1/27/0)
Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
• 2017-2018
Assessing the Threat of Violence in our Public Schools Is enough being done?
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 10 findings
F1
In a threat situation, timely and specific communication from the school to the community can reduce fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
The County Superintendent of Schools should advocate school districts inform parents and guardians on how and when they will be contacted in the event of a threat. (F1)
F2
Confusion over the disclosure of protected information regarding juveniles has been a barrier to the timely exchange of vital information between school districts and law enforcement, although FERPA permits disclosure of juvenile student information to law enforcement without parental consent.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
The County Office of Education (COE) and the County Sheriff's Office (CSO) should advocate that the threat assessment plan for each school district has a written agreement with law enforcement in which restricted information may be exchanged during the investigation of a threat. (F2)
F3
Threat assessment is a necessary part of the comprehensive school safety plan, but very little direct guidance has been provided to school districts in how to go about doing it.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The COE and the CSO should collaborate to develop a plan in which all school districts are prepared and capable of assessing a threat of targeted school violence. (F3, F5–F7)
F4
Investigating a threat may involve actions that can only be done by law enforcement, necessitating coordination and collaboration in formulating and implementing a threat assessment plan.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
The County Sheriff and the County Superintendent of Schools should act as boundary spanners to facilitate collaboration between the school districts and law enforcement in assessing threats. (F4)
F5
Seven of the ten districts have a specific threat assessment plan; those districts without a plan are less able to respond effectively to threats. All of these reported that local law enforcement was aware of their plan.
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
The COE and the CSO should collaborate to develop a plan in which all school districts are prepared and capable of assessing a threat of targeted school violence. (F3, F5–F7)
F6
Only one school district had a threat assessment plan that was created with the help of law enforcement, leaving all other districts at a disadvantage in addressing threats.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
The COE and the CSO should collaborate to develop a plan in which all school districts are prepared and capable of assessing a threat of targeted school violence. (F3, F5–F7)
R5
The CSO and Chiefs of Police should ensure a law enforcement representative, preferably a School Resource Officer, be made available to school districts drafting or revising a threat assessment plan. (F6, F8)
F7
Three of the four districts with a single school lack the personnel to adequately assemble a threat assessment team.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
The COE and the CSO should collaborate to develop a plan in which all school districts are prepared and capable of assessing a threat of targeted school violence. (F3, F5–F7)
R7
The COE should advocate each school district either has or has access to a multidisciplinary threat assessment team, including a representative from law enforcement. (F7, F9)
F8
All threat assessment teams had training in the 2015-16 school year, but not all districts attended a professional threat assessment training held in the spring of 2017.
Related Recommendations (2)
R5
The CSO and Chiefs of Police should ensure a law enforcement representative, preferably a School Resource Officer, be made available to school districts drafting or revising a threat assessment plan. (F6, F8)
R6
The County Superintendent of Schools should advocate each school district receives periodic training in assessing threats of targeted school violence. (F8)
F9
Countywide, only two of 11 SROs were included as members of a threat assessment team.
Related Recommendations (1)
R7
The COE should advocate each school district either has or has access to a multidisciplinary threat assessment team, including a representative from law enforcement. (F7, F9)
F10
Not all local law enforcement agencies have personnel trained in assessing threats of school violence, leaving them less able to assist schools.
Related Recommendations (1)
R8
The County Sheriff and the Chiefs of Police should ensure their respective law enforcement agencies attend periodic training in assessing threats of targeted school violence. (F10)
Agency Responses 4
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 3
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Capitola
City
Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Elected County Office
Soquel Elementary School District
School District