[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHOOLYARD SAFETY ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 24, 1999

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, in May 1998, Kip Kinkel of Hillsborough, 
Oregon showed up on his school grounds with a firearm, was expelled and 
sent home. He was not detained for a psychological evaluation or placed 
in custody to protect his innocent classmates. The following day he 
showed up at school again with a gun, shot several students, and 
returned home where he killed his parents. Three years ago, a Moses 
Lake, Washington middle school student brought a gun to school and 
killed two students and a teacher. Weeks ago, a student showed up at 
Stanwood High School in Washington with a loaded weapon, where 
fortunately there were no injuries to fellow students.
  These tragic stories demonstrate the need for our schools and 
communities to have in place a policy to protect our children from gun 
violence in our schools. Expelling youths once they have brought a gun 
onto school grounds is not enough, as the tragic story of Kip Kinkel 
illustrates. Who knows how the outcome might have been different had 
Kip been detained in protective custody or given a psychological 
evaluation to determine whether he was indeed a threat to the 
community? Our laws are very clear with respect to possession of 
firearms. It is a crime under both State and Federal laws to have 
firearms on school grounds. However we have failed to address the 
underlying issue--many of our youths have serious problems and are a 
danger to themselves and others. When an adolescent disobeys the law or 
threatens the safety of other students, it is our responsibility to 
help that child before he or she commits any further crimes and to 
minimize risks to the community. These youths must be detained and 
their crime must be taken seriously.
  For this reason, Representative Peter DeFazio and I are reintroducing 
the Schoolyard Safety Act, our legislation from last year encouraging 
states to pass measures holding juveniles for at least 24 hours if they 
bring guns onto school grounds. Rather than create further burdensome 
regulations or mandates, we leave the authority and accountability in 
the hands of those closest to the situation, while providing the 
funding necessary for states to implement these protective programs. 
This funding could help pay for holding centers, psychological 
evaluations, or other preventative measures decided on by those closest 
to the danger--teachers and school officials whose primary 
responsibility is educating our children, and who have been forced to 
take on the role of providing for their physical safety instead.
  The people of Springfield, Oregon know all too well how easily crime 
can break the heart of a community. Every man, woman, and child in that 
town had the right to expect to live on a safe street and send their 
children to safe schools. Children who learn in fear are learning the 
wrong lessons. It is our responsibility to do whatever we can to 
prevent a horrible tragedy like this from happening again.

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