05-24-2007, 06:00 PM
Task force recommends campus security changes
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Campuses have been reviewing their safety procedures after the Virginia Tech shooting.
It's been more than a month since a Virginia Tech student's shooting rampage. And since that time, college and universities across the country have revamped their security procedures.
Florida's schools were no different as Governor Charlie Crist ordered a thorough review into how schools protect students on campus. On Wednesday, the governor's campus safety task force announced its results, including 65 recommendations to improve security.
Increasing university officers pay is at the top of the list.
"There's no reason to feel that you're not safe on any of our campuses,'' said task force chairman Bob Butterworth. "But the thing is we would like to make it safer and especially compensate and keep our law enforcement officers to the extent they should be compensated. "
Next the report heads to the governor's desk and indications are he'll have plenty of time to read it, as the top recommendations may not be acted on until next year. Florida's lawmakers don't meet again until their annual session next March, but task force members aren't concerned with the wait.
But one issue Florida State University System Chancellor Mark Rosenberg is concerned with is mental health counseling on college campuses.
"In the public universities, there are at least some advisors and mental health counselors that are full-time on staff,'' Rosenberg said. "But perhaps at some of our community colleges, we don't have that and we have to go off campus to get help for our students. "
The task force wants to loosen privacy restrictions so if a student throws up a red flag, counselors can talk to law enforcement.
Some of the other recommendations are more money for upgrading campus alert systems and streamlining communication between campus police and local law enforcement agencies.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Campuses have been reviewing their safety procedures after the Virginia Tech shooting.
It's been more than a month since a Virginia Tech student's shooting rampage. And since that time, college and universities across the country have revamped their security procedures.
Florida's schools were no different as Governor Charlie Crist ordered a thorough review into how schools protect students on campus. On Wednesday, the governor's campus safety task force announced its results, including 65 recommendations to improve security.
Increasing university officers pay is at the top of the list.
"There's no reason to feel that you're not safe on any of our campuses,'' said task force chairman Bob Butterworth. "But the thing is we would like to make it safer and especially compensate and keep our law enforcement officers to the extent they should be compensated. "
Next the report heads to the governor's desk and indications are he'll have plenty of time to read it, as the top recommendations may not be acted on until next year. Florida's lawmakers don't meet again until their annual session next March, but task force members aren't concerned with the wait.
But one issue Florida State University System Chancellor Mark Rosenberg is concerned with is mental health counseling on college campuses.
"In the public universities, there are at least some advisors and mental health counselors that are full-time on staff,'' Rosenberg said. "But perhaps at some of our community colleges, we don't have that and we have to go off campus to get help for our students. "
The task force wants to loosen privacy restrictions so if a student throws up a red flag, counselors can talk to law enforcement.
Some of the other recommendations are more money for upgrading campus alert systems and streamlining communication between campus police and local law enforcement agencies.