Goddard pushes for campus security

Attorney General Terry Goddard Thursday released a report asking federal and state leaders to evaluate flaws in federal and state laws and educational policies that leave students exposed to violence on school and college campuses.

The 14-page report, issued by the National Association of Attorneys General Task Force on School and Campus Safety includes recommendations which focus on threat assessment practices, protocols for dealing with the mentally ill, information sharing among law enforcement agencies and crisis response planning and communications.

“This report is not designed to comprehensively address all of the issues related to school and campus security but to identify some of the legislative and policy weaknesses that impact the safety of our educational institutions,” Goddard said.

The NAAG Task Force on School and Campus Safety was organized to revise already established recommendations in a 1999 report released by the NAAG, when school violence issues were brought to attention after the tragedy at Virginia Tech.

“Campus security and safety are high priorities for Arizona universities,” Goddard said. “They have made progress on the key areas addressed by this report. Their work on these issues continues to be a priority and they welcome ideas, resources and additional expert information made available by the NAAG Task Force.”

A report is available on the Arizona Attorney General’s Web site at www.azag.gov.