[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 171 (Wednesday, October 18, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     RECOGNIZING SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK

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                       HON. BRIAN K. FITZPATRICK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, October 18, 2023

  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to acknowledge 
the annual Safe Schools Week. Safe Schools Week is celebrated every 
year to raise awareness about the importance of school safety and 
promote strategies for keeping students, teachers, and staff safe. This 
year for Safe Schools Week, I am proud to see so many schools in my 
district in Pennsylvania prioritize advocating for school safety 
policies.
  As a member of the Bipartisan School Safety Caucus, I work with my 
colleagues to advocate for common-sense policies which center on 
improving the environment where our students learn and grow. We owe it 
to our students, educators, and school communities to prioritize their 
safety. Recent tragedies across our nation highlight the need to invest 
in substantive solutions to make our schools more secure, and I am 
proud of what is being done on the local, state, and federal level to 
ensure our schools are places of growth.
  This week, it is also important to acknowledge the dedicated school 
officials, such as School Resource Officers, who protect our children. 
SROs are essential to crime prevention in schools and ensure that 
schools have a first responder already on campus in the event of an 
emergency. Beyond law enforcement, many SROs also serve as mentors in 
fostering relationships and reinforcing positive behaviors with 
students. Alongside my School Safety Caucus peers, I introduced the 
Strengthening Our Schools Act of 2023. This legislation would increase 
funding for SROs and ensure they have the resources required to support 
and protect students and school staff. I am grateful to the many School 
Resource Officers across Bucks and Montgomery counties for all they do 
to support our schools and communities.
  In Bucks County, we are fortunate to have several school districts 
that have invested heavily in having SROs in their schools and we have 
many others that are in the process or laying the groundwork for an SRO 
program. The Bucks County school districts that have an existing SRO 
program include the following: Quakertown, Central Bucks, Council Rock, 
Neshaminy, Bensalem, and Bristol Borough.
  As we acknowledge School Safety Week across the country, and raise 
awareness about the importance of strategies for keeping students and 
educators safe, I urge my colleagues to continue to focus on key 
policies to ensure schools have the necessary resources.

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