Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C-Medford) attended a press conference on the Million Dollar Staircase in Albany today, joining his legislative colleagues for a presentation of the report by the Assembly Minority Task Force on School Safety & Security, which comes in response to increased acts of violence in schools and addresses safety measures more effectively for students and educators.

“Today, people simply don’t feel safe. Not in their schools, their offices, or even on the street. New York has seen an increase in crime with bail reform and Raise the Age laws, and it’s time to bring our state back to a place where people feel safe, especially in schools. Children should not be scared to go to school. Every person deserves to feel safe when they walk outside of their home, and that is unfortunately not the case right now. The Assembly Minority does not take this issue lightly, and that is made apparent by the solutions and recommendations that were presented today by the Task Force on School Safety & Security,” DeStefano said.

Forums were conducted around the state with a focus on finding legislative solutions to ensure the safety of students and school personnel. Input from education professionals, mental-health professionals, parents, law enforcement officials and the public were utilized in developing the report, including solutions and recommendations such as:

• Increasing Law Enforcement Presence in Schools
• Addressing Mental Health Issues in Schools
• Open Communication Between Stakeholders
• Innovative State Support for School Safety and Security
• Identifying Threats and Providing Support to At-Risk Students
• Hardening Infrastructure at Schools

“It is our responsibility as legislators to protect the people of our state, and I believe the solutions laid out in this report represent progress toward a safer New York, especially for those in schools. I stand by the findings of this report and hope to see these measures implemented in our schools so every child can go to school feeling safe,” DeStefano concluded.

Editor’s Note: To see the full report from the Assembly Minority Conference Task Force on School Safety & Security, click here.