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Piccola Responds to Grand Jury on School Violence
HARRISBURG -- Based
on the recent Dauphin County Grand Jury Report highlighting violence and
disorder in the Steelton-Highspire High School and its call on the General
Assembly to take action to address deficiencies in law, Senate Majority Whip
Jeff Piccola (R-15) announced today his plan to introduce legislation to reform
Pennsylvania’s laws pertaining to Safe Schools. Joined by Dauphin County
District Attorney Ed Marsico, Swatara Chief of Police David Bogdanovich, and
Chief Robert Martin from Susquehanna Township, Piccola outlined his plan at the
Swatara Township Municipal Building, headquarters of the Police Department of
jurisdiction over the Steelton-Highspire High School.
“Since the issuance of the
Grand Jury report, I have been working with our district attorney, chiefs of
police, and school districts to respond to the call for remedial legislation
which includes improving reporting requirements in the Safe Schools Law. We’ve
developed a common sense response that will hopefully meet the expectations of
the Grand Jurors. It’s important we provide the necessary tools to our police
and educators so that they can work in partnership to prevent and effectively
respond to school violence,” Piccola said. Piccola stressed that he believes
the vast majority of school officials strive for a positive working relationship
with law enforcement, as they take very seriously their duty to protect students
and teachers from violence and harm in any form.
“Based on the Grand Jury
Report, much has been made of the criminal history record of Rodney Ramsey, an
employee of the school district, and the need to expand our background check law
to require a federal criminal history check in addition to a Pennsylvania check
law. Fortunately, this legislation has made its way through the House of
Representatives and will be acted upon by the Senate this fall,” said Piccola.
“My legislation will make
further amendments to the background check provisions of the School Code to
impose a lifetime ban on employment in our Commonwealth’s schools, public and
private, for individuals convicted of serious crimes of violence,” he said. “Of
course, that will include crimes of sexual violence as well as drug dealing.”
“Rodney Ramsey’s federal
conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possession with the intent to
distribute cocaine would subject him to the lifetime ban. I believe drug
dealing is in part violent crime. It destroys lives and our communities. Mr.
Ramsey need not seek employment in Pennsylvania’s school again,” said Piccola.
Piccola will also reform the
Safe Schools Law requirement of a Memorandum of Understanding between school
entities and police. “We must require superintendents and principals to sign
these MOU’s. Schools officials must be held accountable if they are failing to
notify police of crimes occurring on school property. What happened at
Steelton-Highspire should not, and will not, happen again,” he said.
“The Grand Jury’s report found
that school administrators failed to comply with the reporting requirements of
the Safe Schools Law and failed to act cooperatively with our local police. I
am concerned about the serious discrepancies in the incidents of violence
reported by the school district and those reported by the Swatara Police
Department. These discrepancies are the result of a failure to comply with the
statutory duty to disclose incidents of violence under the law,” Piccola said.
“My legislative package will
specifically include a new requirement that school officials submit their
violence incident data to their chief of police, who will have the authority to
verify the accuracy of the report before it is submitted to the Department of
Education. Our police departments need to have the authority to review the
violence reports of schools in their districts. School officials who
intentionally falsify reports will be subject to criminal and professional
sanctions,” added Piccola.
“The last component of my
legislation involves lifting existing restrictions on police and juvenile
probation officers and permitting them to notify school administrators when
students are arrested for crimes. The way it stands, our law only permits the
juvenile court to notify school officials after a student has been adjudicated
delinquent for a crime,” said Piccola.
“I believe that my amendments
will go a long way to fostering and improving the growth of these partnerships,
especially in situations where law enforcement and school administrators are
failing to work together effectively,” Piccola said.
# # #
8/25/05 - Sen. Jeff Piccola
calls on General Assembly to address
deficiencies in Safe Schools laws.
 
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