Governor Announces Creation Of New Office Dedicated To School Safety

(ONN) – Governor Mike DeWine has announced a new office in Ohio devoted to school safety.

DeWine says the newly-created Ohio School Safety Center will be staffed by seven people who will monitor social media and web sites for threats.

“When a threat is identified, analysts will immediately conduct a threat analysis and share that information quickly with local law enforcement and school officials.”

He says the Ohio School Safety Center will also review school safety plans and provide training and assistance and hold an annual safety summit covering safety and mental health issues.

“Given that schools are often targets of violence, school safety proposals are a prominent part of STRONG Ohio, my 17-point plan to reduce violence with dangerous weapons and increase mental health treatment,” DeWine said.

Mirroring national trends, Ohio has experienced several incidents of violence in schools over the past seven years, including shootings at Chardon High School in 2012, Madison Junior/Senior High School in 2016, and West Liberty-Salem High School in 2017.

Additionally, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults 10 to 24 years of age.