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Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) joined his colleagues in passing bipartisan legislation to improve school security and identify potential threats in order to stop school violence before it occurs. H.R. 4909, the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act reauthorizes and improves the Department of Justice Secure Our Schools program. The legislation provides needed resources to train students, teachers, school officials, and local law enforcement on how to identify and intervene when early signs of violence arise, creates a coordinated reporting system, and facilitates coordination between schools and local law enforcement.
 
The STOP School Violence Act was authored by Congressman John Rutherford (R-FL), a former Sheriff of Duval County in Florida.

“The most effective way to save lives from school violence is to prevent attacks from occurring in the first place,” said Latta. “This legislation takes a multi-layered approach by improving school security and also providing resources to assist early intervention and prevention program in our nation’s schools. Building strong bonds between schools, law enforcement, and the community can make all the difference in deterring threats and making sure students are safe.”

The legislation is supported by Sandy Hook Promise, an organization led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.

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