[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 27, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E456]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E456]]
               BIPARTISAN WORKING GROUP ON YOUTH VIOLENCE

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                           HON. JENNIFER DUNN

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 27, 2001

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, parents continue to see tragic examples that 
reinforce the need for immediate action to stop the violence in our 
nation's schools. During the 106th Congress, twenty-four Members--
twelve Democrats and twelve Republicans--worked together as part of the 
Bipartisan Working Group on Youth Violence. As Co-Chair of the Working 
Group, I was involved in identifying causes and advancing through 
consensus solutions to fight the rise of youth violence. During our 
weekly meetings we reviewed studies and listened to testimony from 
expert witnesses from academia, law enforcement, the judicial system, 
and advocacy groups.
  Today I am re-introducing a school safety measure that emerged as a 
recommendation during our Working Group discussions. Specifically, my 
proposal will give schools the flexibility to use their federal 
education dollars to hire School Resource Officers. The School Resource 
Officer program sends specially trained police officers into public 
schools to identify at-risk youth and serve as positive role models to 
students. One adult can make a difference in the life of a child, 
students can trust and count on these officers.
  Just last week at Granite Hills High School in Southern California, 
the nation was shocked by another school shooting. The youth offender 
was ultimately stopped by the campus School Resource Officer. The 
school principal called the officer his personal hero and said that if 
he weren't there, a lot of people would have died.
  School Resource Officers clearly play a critical role in keeping 
schools safe. Nevertheless, local school officials currently face red 
tape when it comes to spending federal money for School Resource 
Officers. Under the federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities 
Act, schools can only spend twenty cents of each federal dollar for 
School Resource Officers. My initiative would lift this cap and allow 
schools to spend any portion of its federal funds on School Resource 
Officers.
  Early this year, I joined King County Sheriff Dave Reichert in 
announcing that Dimmit Middle School in Renton, Washington will receive 
a School Resource Officer in response to a student firing a gun in the 
school cafeteria. Our nation's schools should be safe places. We must 
expel fear from our classrooms and do everything we can to keep our 
children out of danger. School Resource Officers are an important part 
of any school safety plan, and every effort must be made on the federal 
level to give schools greater flexibility to hire these officers as a 
violence prevention measure.

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