Funds for college security in wake of Uvalde taking pictures

REACTION TO OVERTURNING ROE V. WADE. GOOD MORNING. I’M STEVE BOTTARI, IN FOR ADAM SEXTON. AS THE COUNTRY GRAPPLES WITH THE HORRORS OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT HAPPENED AND WHAT FAILED IN UVALDE, TEXAS, THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE IS ALLOCATING MORE MONEY TO FOCUS ON SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY. HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT’S IN PLACE ALREADY, WHAT WILL BE ADDED, AND THE PROCEDURES BEING REVIEWED AT SCHOOLS STATEWIDE ARE THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, FRANK EDELBLUT, AND THE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY, ROBERT QUINN. THANKS FOR JOINING US. COMMISSIONER QUINN, LET’S START WITH A QUESTION FOR YOU. EVERY SCHOOL SHOOTING, YOU HERE — HEAR EVERYONE SAY, “WE NEVER IMAGINED IT WOULD HAPPEN HERE.” AS YOU LOOK AT THESE INCIDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HOW SAFE ARE NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW, AND HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU IN THE STATE’S APPROACH? COMM. QUINN: I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD APPROACH. I DO NOT THINK THAT IS A GOOD WORD TO USE. I THINK WE HAVE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB SINCE 2018, WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS. THEY HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK. THEY HAVE PLANS FOR 500 SCHOOLS, THEY HAVE MADE ASSESSMENTS, GONE OUT. WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS CONTINUE TO TEST THOSE SYSTEMS, STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND CONTINUE TO TRAIN AND EXERCISE. THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, TO CONTINUE TO KEEP US SAFE. YOU ARE NEVER DONE. THIS HAS TO BE A CONTINUOUS PROCESS. I THINK NEW HAMPSHIRE IS POISED — THE MEETINGS I HAVE BEEN HAVING WITH LEADERSHIP, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE CHIEFS OF POLICE, THE FIRE CHIEFS, EMS LEADERS. I WAS IN THE NORTH COUNTRY YESTERDAY, EVERYONE IS ENGAGED AND COMMITTED. THEY REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE. STEVE: THESE TRAGIC INCIDENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AS THEY CONTINUE TO HAPPEN, I AM SURE YOU ARE HEARING FROM SUPERINTENDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK THEY NEED IN THEIR SCHOOLS. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM THE SCHOOLS? WHAT DO THEY SAY THEY NEED? COMM. EDELBLUT: OUR APPROACH IS TO FACETED. WE WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO BE OVERCONFIDENT IN ANY WAY. BUT NEW HAMPSHIRE HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, BEFORE THE TRAGEDY IN UVALDE WE WERE ON THIS. WHETHER THAT WAS THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE FUND THAT WE PUSHED OUT BACK IN 2018, OR THE SCHOOL SAFETY TASK FORCE. WE’VE ALWAYS TRY TO STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN MITIGATE ANY PROBLEM THAT MAY COME UP. THE SUPPORTS WE ARE PROVIDING TO SCHOOLS AND HEARING FROM SCHOOL LEADERS ABOUT ARE REALLY INTO DIFFERENT AREAS. ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS AROUND SOME OF THE SECURITY FEATURES, THAT INCLUDES GOOD COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION. BOTH AMONG SCHOOLS AND LOCAL AND STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT. OFFICERS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARD THE SAME GOAL AND OBJECTIVE. WE HAVE PUT FUNDING TOWARDS IN THE PAST, AND WE HAVE NEW FUNDING COMING OUT, TO FURTHER SECURE OUR FACILITIES, WHICH IS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT FOR SCHOOL LEADERS. ANOTHER ASPECT, IT IS REALLY AROUND THE STUDENTS AND THE STUDENT’S MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. WE HAVE GOT A BROAD NUMBER OF PROGRAMS IN THE STATE TO TRY TO MAKE SURE NONE OF OUR STUDENTS GET TO PLACE WHERE THEY FEEL SOME TYPE OF EVENT LIKE UVALDE IS AN OPTION FOR THEM. WHETHER IS IT — IT IS AT THE FIRST TIER TO MAKE SURE ALL STUDENTS ARE SUPPORTED, THEY ARE NOT GETTING INTO TROUBLE, NOT FIGHTING THEMSELVES IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND STUDENTS WHO MAY FIND THEMSELVES IN DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT GET ISOLATED. WE CAN STAY IN CONTACT WITH MENTORING PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE WE CAN HELP THEM BE ENGAGED AND NOT BECOME ISOLATED FROM THEIR PEERS AND COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL. THEN, WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS WHO HAVE ACUTE NEEDS, WE CAN MEET THOSE NEEDS. STEVE: ON THE TOPIC OF MENTAL HEALTH, I WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE FUNDING. WE SEEM $10 MILLION FOR THINGS LIKE PHYSICAL SECURITY. WHEN IT COMES TO MENTAL HEALTH, DO YOU THINK THERE IS ENOUGH FUNDING, OR IT THE STATE NEED TO STEP UP? COMM. EDELBLUT: WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE, AS A RESULT OF COVID AND DO THE COVID FUNDS WE RECEIVED IN THE STATE, TO HAVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUNDS THAT CAN BE USED TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH. THOSE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THE LOCAL SCHOOL LEVEL. THEY’RE ABLE TO BE USED TOWARD MENTAL HEALTH. WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT PREEXISTED COVID, MANY OF THOSE WERE EXACERBATED AS A RESULT OF THE COVID ISOLATION. AT PRESENT, I CAN TELL YOU HAVE A LOT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT STRONG PROGRAMMING TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS CAN STAY IN A POSITIVE PLACE AND DO NOT FIND THEMSELVES GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE SOME TYPE OF TRAGIC EVENT HAPPENS. STEVE: DO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF FOR IT? I HAVE SEEN NUMBERS THAT THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF CLINICIANS NATIONWIDE, ARE WE SEEING THAT IN OUR STATE? COMM. EDELBLUT: IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND SPECIFIC SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIANS IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, AS A STATE, WE PARTNERED WITH COMMUNITY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ASSOCIATIONS. WE HAVE 10 COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AROUND THE STATE, WE ARE PARTNERING DIRECTLY WITH THEM. BOTH THE SCHOOL AND OTHER PROGRAMMING WERE STUDENTS RESIDE. THROUGH THE CAP PROGRAM, REKINDLING CURIOSITY, WE HAVE A PARTNER SHIP TO MAKE SURE WE ARE TRAINING CAMP COUNSELORS TO RECOGNIZE MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES. WHEN THEY RECOGNIZE THEM, TO KNOW HOW TO REFER THEM FOR APPROPRIATE SERVICES. WE ARE ABLE IN CAMP ENVIRONMENTS TO PUT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS ON THE GROUND IN THE CAMPS AS WELL AS WHEN WE IDENTIFY THE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO REFER THEM TO THE PROFESSIONAL HELP THEY NEED. WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO HELP CLOSE SOME OF THE MENTAL HEALTH GAPS. WE HAVE TRIED TO MAKE SURE THOSE GAPS DO NOT EXIST. STEVE: COMMISSIONER QUINN, I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE PHYSICAL SECURITY ASPECT. SINCE 2018, THEY STARTED THE FUND FOR SCHOOL SECURITY. THEY SPENT ABOUT $28 MILLION. THEY WILL ADD ANOTHER $10 MILLION. A SCHOOL COULD GET $40,000 TO $50,000. COMMISSIONER QUINN, WHAT ARE THE IMPORTANT ADDITIONS THE SCHOOLS ARE DOING WITH THIS MONEY? IF A SCHOOL GOT THAT MONEY, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? COMM. QUINN: EACH SCHOOL IS UNIQUE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE HAVE DONE OVER 1000 ASSESSMENTS. WE HAVE EXPERTS GOING OUT THERE, WHETHER IT IS VIDEO CAMERAS, LOCKS ON DOORS. WHAT IS IMPORTANT, THE TEAM GOES OUT AND WITH THEM, GUIDES THEM. THERE HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE DONE. THE KEY IS THE RELATIONSHIP, THE COMMUNICATION REACHING OUT AND WORKING WITH OUR TEAM AT THE SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM. STEVE: DO WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HARDENING THE SCHOOLS HAS LED TO PREVENTING SOMETHING LIKE A MASS SHOOTING LIKE WE SAW IN UVALDE? THEY HAD A SCHOOL POLICE FORCE, REINFORCED DOORS, BUZZER SYSTEMS. THIS STILL HAPPENED. DO WE HAVE EVIDENCE HARDENING THE PHYSICAL SPACES ENOUGH? COMM. QUINN: IT IS NOT ONE THING, IT IS ALL THINGS. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, IF ANYBODY HAS A POTENTIAL THREAT, THEY THINK SOMETHING COULD ENDANGER THE SCHOOL, CALL LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON APPROACH TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL RISKS AND THREATS. I DO NOT THINK IT IS ONE THING, IT IS EVERYTHING. STEVE: TO THAT END, THERE IS MENTAL HEALTH, PHYSICAL SECURITY. WHERE DOES THE CONVERSATION ABOUT GUNS COME IN? COMM. QUINN: THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION NATIONALLY. LIKE I SAID, THERE IS A POLICY DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE. LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS TO LOOK AT ALL THREATS AND ADDRESS THOSE AS THEY COME. I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER PART OF THE EQUATION. AGAIN, IT IS NOT JUST ONE. STEVE: I WANT TO BRING YOU INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT PHYSICAL SECURITY. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENTIRE PORTFOLIO OF PROTECTING KIDS? COMM. EDELBLUT: I THINK COMMISSIONER QUINN HAS DONE A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING, IT IS NOT A SINGLE THING, BUT A MULTITUDE OF THINGS. SOME OF WHICH WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT. IT STARTS WITH BEING ABLE TO BUILD RESILIENCE AND STUDENTS SO THEY ARE ABLE TO RESIST MALE BEHAVIOR AND STUFF THAT MAY GET THEM INTO TROUBLE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT KINDS OF SUPPORT NETWORKS, SO STUDENTS DO NOT FIND THEMSELVES GETTING INTO TROUBLE. IF THEY DO AND ARE FINDING THEMSELVES ISOLATED FROM THEIR PEERS OR COMMUNITY, WE HAVE MENTORING PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT GET TOO FAR REMOVED. WE CAN COACH THEM BACK IN TO POSITIVE PLACE. WHEN STUDENTS NEED INTERVENTION, WE PROVIDE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR THE STUDENTS. SO THEY CAN OVERCOME THOSE ISSUES THAT THEY ARE DEALING WITH. THEN, THE PHYSICAL SECURITY IS AN IMPORTANT POINT. AN IMPORTANT ASPECT. BUT IT IS NOT ONE THING, IT IS NOT ALL OF IT TOGETHER TO SUPPORT A SAFE COMMUNITY. AS HE POINTED OUT, THAT IS THE DIRECTION WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE. STEVE: WITH OUR REMAINING TIME, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT PROCEDURES. THIS IS ABOUT DETERMINE, BUT SAY THERE HAS TO BE A RESPONSE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE? WE SAW IN UVALDE THE POLICE WAITING OVER AN HOUR WITH BALLISTIC SHIELDS, BUT DID NOT ENGAGE THE SHOOTER. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PARENTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE? OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE GOING TO RESPOND RIGHT AWAY IN THE CLASSROOMS? COMM. QUINN: MY ANSWER IS YES. LAW ENFORCEMENT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS COMMITTED. WE HAVE TRUE PROFESSIONALS. I WANT TO SHARE SOME CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD THE STATE POLICE COLONEL HAD –. HE IS WORKING WITH THE PRESIDENT OF POLICE CHIEFS, WE HAVE ALSO A GREAT SYNERGY BETWEEN THE FIRE ACADEMY DIRECTOR AND THE POLICE ACADEMY DIRECTOR. SO WE HAVE LEADERSHIP LOOKING AT THIS. THEY WILL BE GOING OUT AND HAVING MEETINGS, LOOKING AT THIS COUNTY BY COUNTY. HAVING A GRASSROOTS APPROACH. REALLY LOOKING AT EACH AND EVERY SCHOOL. BUILDING A TEAM. SO WHEN AND IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A RESPONSE, THOSE PLANS ARE LAID OUT AND THEY HAVE BEEN TRAINED. COMMUNICATIONS PLANS, STAGING PLANS, MUTUAL AID. I HAVE FAITH THAT COLONEL NOYES AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY WILL WORK HARD AND THEY WILL GET REENERGIZED, REFOCUSED. EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE NEW PEOPLE, NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. I HAVE FAITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT IS COMMITTED TO THIS. THEIR COMMUNITIES, MANY HAVE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOLS. IT IS ABOUT TRAINING, TRAINING. GETTING OUT THERE. RELATIONSHIPS HAVE TO BE BUILT BETWEEN THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS, THE TEACHERS. AND THE COMMUNITY LEADERS. FIRE AND EMS, THE POLICE CHIEFS. WE HAVE LARGE COMMUNITIES, RURAL DEPARTMENTS. I BELIEVE THE COLONEL AND HIS LEADERSHIP TEAM AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE SERVICE WILL WORK TOGETHER. THEY ARE COMMITTED. I THINK THEY WILL DO THEIR VERY BEST. STEV

CloseUp: Funds for college security in wake of Uvalde taking pictures

Up to date: 2:43 PM EDT Jun 26, 2022

Security commissioner Robert Quinn and schooling commissioner Frank Edelblut talk about safety concnerns in New Hampshire colleges and the best way to stop a college taking pictures.

Security commissioner Robert Quinn and schooling commissioner Frank Edelblut talk about safety concnerns in New Hampshire colleges and the best way to stop a college taking pictures.