Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to use electronic ID systems that would determine criminal background of school visitors.

Res. No. 455

Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to use electronic ID systems that would determine criminal background of school visitors.

By Council Member Cabrera

Whereas, School safety and security have increasingly become areas of concern in the wake of numerous school shooting incidents; and

Whereas, Cases of intruders entering K-12 schools and shooting students and staff have become more common and severe; and

Whereas, The deadliest mass shooting at a school in United States’ history occurred on December 14, 2012 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children between 6 and 7 years old, as well as 6 adult staff members, were fatally shot; and

Whereas, More recently, on February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people, 14 students and 3 teachers, were killed and 17 more were wounded, making it one of the world's deadliest school massacres; and

Whereas, In addition to active shooters, there are concerns that lax school security could allow those with criminal backgrounds, such as sex offenders, access to vulnerable children; and

Whereas, For those reasons, it is important to improve the monitoring of school visitors; and

Whereas, New York City public schools generally require all visitors to show identification and sign in at the front entrance before entering the school building; and

Whereas, However, there are electronic ID systems that can scan a visitor’s ID and search a criminal database or sex offender registry and, if there are no matches, print out a visitor's badge; and

Whereas, Such electronic ID systems are already in use in schools in parts of the U.S., such as the Edwardsville, Illinois School District; and

Whereas, Given the importance of protecting the lives and safety of the City’s public school children and staff; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the New York City Council calls upon the New York City Department of Education to use electronic ID systems that would determine criminal background of school visitors.

LS# 5423

JA

4/9/18