School Safety Programs
The School and Community Outreach Unit (SCOU) has maintained a statewide presence in school and community safety through its many safety-related initiatives and partnerships. To address the rapidly changing school environment, the SCOU continually updates available programs so that each is timely and relevant. These programs, are designed to help identify, head-off, respond to, and/or cope with the myriad of issues that face schools today. In adopting an all-hazards approach to school safety, schools, communities, and law enforcement can remain proactive in preventing, responding to, and mitigating any crisis that might befall a school.
School and Community Outreach Coordinators (SCOCs) are assigned to Troops A, B, C, D, E, F, G, K, and Headquarters, and present to schools, community and business groups. They are well versed in the intricacies of school safety and security, crime prevention and deterrence, and effective crisis response.
SCOCs are uniquely qualified to offer the following programs, and can be contacted through their respective Troop Headquarters.
Download the SCOU program brochure.
New York State School Safety Guide (NYSSSG)
For: School personnel Time: 2 hours
- Highlights portions of the NYSSSG, a comprehensive guidance document addressing school safety
- Addresses the fundamental principals of Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
- Reviews components of Incident Command System (ICS)
- Demonstrates 'Physical' and 'Cultural' Threat Assessment
- Includes as Administrator DVD, and/or Student DVD
- Provides effective strategies to address the myriad of crisis that may affect schools
"If You See Something, Say Something"
For: Students Grades 6-8 & 9-12 Time: 1 hour
- Scenario-based workshop that employs the use of the NYSSSG Student DVD, "If You See Something, Say Something"
- Designed to provoke thought and generate conversation about risky and self-destructive behavior among young adults
- Highlights the importance of students helping students
- Provides students who observe dangerous behavior among their peers with strategies in sharing their concerns
Incident Command System (ICS) - The Basics
For: School personnel Time: 1 hour
- Scenario-based training that demonstrates effective use of ICS components
- Employs a realistic approach to ICS, highlighting the importance of universal language in managing crisis
- Educates school personnel on their role in a multi-agency response
- Illustrates how school personnel integrate into an effective multi-agency response
Threat Assessment for Schools
For: School personnel Time: 2 hours
- Employs the findings of the Safe Schools Initiative, the joint Secret Service / US Dept. of Education Study addressing targeted schools attacks
- Highlights the principals of Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery found in New York State School Safety Guide
- Considers 'Physical' and 'Cultural' Threat Assessment
- Demonstrates how to build a Threat Assessment Team
Current Drug Trends
For: School personnel, parents, and caregivers Time:
1 hours
- Identifies current drug trends
- Addresses prescription and OTC drug abuse
- Identifies symptoms of drug abuse
- Provides resources
Teens and Technology
For: Parents, caregivers, and students Time: 1 hour
- Identifies current on-line and electronic trends
- Highlights the risks of careless on-line behavior and reinforces on-line safety
- Addresses texting, sexting, blogs, chat rooms, and consequences of risky or illegal on-line behavior
- Provides strategies in addressing questionable or illegal on-line behavior
Teen Driving
For: Students Time: 1.5 hours
- Provides teens with the information to make safe decisions on the road
- Identifies contributing factors of accidents, and highlighting crash dynamics
- Identifies current trends associated with teen crashes, such as distracted driving, cell phone usage, drowsy driving, and driver inexperience
- Identifies legal, physical, and emotional consequences associated with crashes
Bullying and Cyberbullying
For: School personnel, parents, caregivers, and students
Time: 1 hour
- Addresses current trends in bullying, cyberbullying and cyberthreats
- Identifies related online risky behavior
- Identifies legal issues of cyberbullying, and provides effective strategies to address bullying
School Safety Audit
For: School personnel Time: 3+ hours
- Thorough assessment of a school building's physical structure from a security, and crime prevention standpoint
- Employs Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) philosophies
- Methodically examines interior and exterior areas
- Addresses a school's enforcement policies, staff development, intervention and prevention plans, and procedures for data collection
- Considers opportunities for student, parent, and community involvement, and the role of law enforcement in the school's operation
- Highlights key portions of a school's crisis management plan
- Involves a physical walk-through by school stakeholders
Workplace Violence
For: Businesses, Community Groups, School Administration and Staff
Time: 1 hour
- Addresses current trends and risk factors of violence, or threats of violence against workers
- Highlights warning signs of escalating behavior and provides strategies to address concerns
- Considers physical environment, administrative policies, crisis mitigation, recovery, and reporting, in helping to make the workplace safer
Internet Safety for Parents & Caregivers
For: Parents & Caregivers
Time: 1 hour
- Program provides fundamental techniques in uderstanding, and navigating current online trends. Topics include:
- On-line familiarization
- Social networking sites
- Media sharing sites
- Strategies for using the internet safely