    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 17 (Monday, May 3, 1999)]
    [Pages 708-709]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks on Departure for the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center
    and an Exchange With Reporters

    April 23, 1999

    School Safety

        The President. Good morning. Before I leave to go to the NATO Summit
    this morning, I'd like to say just a few more words about the tragedy in
    Littleton and the steps we're taking to make all our schools safer.
        The images from Colorado have become painfully familiar, the
    terrified children, the racing ambulances, the grieving families. We saw
    them last year, in Pearl, West Paducah, Jonesboro, Springfield. We were
    reminded again this week that none of our communities is immune to
    senseless violence.
        Still, it is important to remember and to remind our children that
    the vast majority of our schools are safe. Nearly everywhere in America
    a child still is safer in school than anywhere else in the community.
        But this week's tragedy reminds us again that one act of violence is
    one too many. We must do more to keep guns out of the hands of children,
    to help our young people express

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    their anger and alienation with words, not weapons, to prevent violence
    from shattering the peace of our schoolyards.
        I've spoken to Attorney General Reno, who was at the scene yesterday
    to assist law enforcement in their investigation and to offer comfort to
    the students and the families. I also talked with Dr. DeStefano and the
    school board last evening for a few minutes to share some thoughts with
    them and to express my appreciation to them for their efforts.
        The Justice Department today will make $1\1/2\ million from our
    crime victims trust fund available to help the communities assist the
    victims in their long journey toward recovery. And we will do more.
        Last October, at our White House Conference on School Safety, I
    launched a new initiative to bring more of the same community policing
    that is doing so much to reduce crime on our streets to our schools.
    Today I'm pleased to announce the first of the grants funding these
    community police will be awarded to 336 schools and communities to help
    hire more than 600 police officers. Like their counterparts on the
    streets, these school officers will work closely with the citizens they
    serve, with students, teachers, and parents, to improve campus security,
    to counsel troubled youth, to mediate conflicts before they escalate
    into violence.
        I want to thank Senator Chuck Robb for his strong leadership on this
    issue. By the end of the year we hope to have 2,000 new officers in our
    schools, and I encourage all communities to apply for these grants.
        I also want to take this opportunity to remind communities that they
    have until June the 1st to apply for the Federal Safe Schools-Healthy
    Students funds, to help them put in place comprehensive violence
    prevention programs. Those of you who were with me yesterday in
    Alexandria at T.C. Williams High School know how important the students
    there believe such a program is. These funds can be used for everything
    from establishing conflict resolution groups to hiring more mental
    health counselors, to establishing new mentoring programs, to installing
    metal detectors and other security equipment.
        By taking actions to prevent future acts of violence in our schools
    we can best honor the memories of those who lost their lives.
        Thank you very much.

    Legislative Initiatives/Ground Troops in Kosovo

        Q. Mr. President, you didn't mention gun control. Are you going to
    do more on gun control?
        Q. To be clear, sir, do all hostilities in Kosovo have to end before
    there can be consideration of ground troops, sir?
        The President. First of all, I know you understand I've got to run
    over there and meet all the people who are coming. We will have more
    legislative initiatives to announce in the days ahead. As I said a
    couple of days ago, we will have some legislative responses and efforts
    we have been working on for some time, actually.
        On the other, I think our conditions are clear.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:18 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Jon DeStefano, president, board of
    education, Jefferson County, CO.