governor kim reynolds

Iowa Governor Introduces Plan to Establish School Safety Bureau For Training, Threat Reporting

The government is considering the creation of an app that would allow students and parents to anonymously submit tips about concerning behavior or mental health issues.

  • By Haley Samsel
  • January 22, 2020

Following in the footsteps of other governors across the country, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking the state legislature to allocate $2 million to create a “Governor’s School Safety Bureau” within the state’s public safety department.

The bureau would involve hiring two staff members to train teachers, administrators and local law enforcement about best practices when responding to incidents, including active shooters, at Iowa schools. Reynolds announced the initiative on Tuesday, stressing the need to improve training resources and reporting of potential threats to law enforcement.

"Today's announcement is about what the state of Iowa is doing to act, not react, on the critical national issue of school safety," Reynolds said in a statement. "We are working to ensure our schools and local law enforcement are prepared to both respond to and deter threats to the safety of students, teachers and staff. Sensible actions today can prevent tragedy tomorrow."

Stephan Bayens, the Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the state is looking into establishing an app and other tools for students and parents to anonymously report concerns about potential threatening behavior or mental health issues. Thirteen other states have already launched an app to collect anonymous tips, according to Bayens.

“We want to look at things such as self-harm or other concerns [like] depression and identify those troubling behaviors or those concerning behaviors early and get them the help they need,” Bayens said on Tuesday, according to Radio Iowa.

He added that Iowa is trying to take more steps to improve school safety before a massive tragedy takes place.

“Unfortunately almost every state that has implemented [an app-based reporting system] has done it on the heels of a tragedy and so one of the things that we really wanted to focus on is to be proactive and not wait for a tragedy to occur,” Bayens said.

In addition to hiring a “full-time core set of instructors” focused on school safety training for state schools, the Bureau would also consider hiring agents who are “dedicated cyber experts” to assist local police in investigating threats made online, according to Reynolds’ announcement.

The state already requires schools to develop emergency operations plans thanks to a 2018 law, but Bayens said the government can still do more.

“We live in a time where we can no longer simply assume that our schools remain kind of the safe havens of our children,” Bayens said. “Unfortunately those times have changed, and we must change with them.”

Photo by John Pemble/Iowa Public Radio Images under Creative Commons License

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Rethinking Campus Security From the Inside

    For decades, campus security strategies focused on keeping threats outside school walls. But since the tragedy at Columbine High School, data has shown that many attacks begin inside the building, often in classrooms and corridors. This shift has prompted schools to rethink security from the inside and place greater emphasis on interior elements such as classroom doors. This shift is evidenced by a new generation of classroom door systems engineered to delay inside intruders and an ASTM standard that raises the bar on how these systems must be designed to defend against attack. Read Now

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • 77% of Americans Support Gun Detection Technology in Schools, Workplaces, and Houses of Worship

    More than three-quarters of Americans (77.4%) believe gun detection technology should be deployed in schools, workplaces, and other public spaces, according to new survey data released recently. The national survey shows strong support for incorporating camera-based gun detection into existing video surveillance systems. Read Now

Most   Popular