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Morris County Prosecutor's Office Hosts Anti-Bias Training for School Resource Officers
MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - The Morris County Prosecutor's Office (MCPO) conducted an enlightening training session on bias crimes and incidents on Friday, May 12, aiming to better equip school administrators, teachers, School Resource Officers (SROs), and Juvenile Officers with the tools to prevent such behavior in their educational communities. The well-attended virtual event saw close to 600 members participating.
Morris County Sergeant Patrick La Guerre and Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri led the session, emphasizing how to distinguish between bias crimes and bias incidents. They also delved into other crucial topics such as sexting, school threats, and harassment. The importance of reporting any suspected bias incident was underscored, with the assurance that all reports will be thoroughly investigated.
Prosecutor Robert Carroll initiated the training with opening remarks, outlining the primary goal of the session: to illustrate to students the potential repercussions of involvement in bias incidents or crimes, thereby deterring such behavior.
"We are keenly aware of the increase in unacceptable and hostile conduct that is occurring in our country, and regrettably, our educational institutions," Prosecutor Carroll lamented.
He stressed the need to directly address harmful conduct that negatively impacts our schools, the educational environment, and culture, and could potentially tarnish the future of offending students.
"Does a 15-year-old understand the history and impact of a swastika? Does that same student understand what can impact his/her future by being involved in posting or spray painting such a symbol of evil?" questioned Carroll. "We can help inform them of the latter dangers in pursuing such behavior."
He emphasized that timely communication, coordination, and recognition of incidents that need to be reported are crucial for the successful reduction of bias incidents and crimes. Cooperation among school officials, municipal police, and county prosecutor's offices is also key.
The program delivered by the MCPO has been implemented not only in Morris County but also in Sussex, Union, and Warren counties with significant success.
Participants in the training are now expected to pass on this crucial knowledge to students in their respective schools and communities. The training encourages all to be vigilant and promptly report any bias crimes and incidents as they occur, marking an important step in fostering safer, more inclusive educational environments.
