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Public Safety Committee urges city to press county for school safety review and presentations
Summary
The Bowie City Council’s Public Safety Committee presented recommendations asking the council to request the county superintendent and the county safety officer to brief the council and to gather background information that could lead to a school safety audit.
The Bowie City Council’s Public Safety Committee on Feb. 18 urged the council to take a proactive role in pressing Prince George’s County for updated information on school security and to request presentations from county education officials as a first step toward any formal audit.
Dale Billings, chair of the Public Safety Committee, told the council the committee is “long concerned about the vulnerability of our juveniles” and that while the county has existing plans, the committee believes “a more robust approach to school safety is necessary.” Billings said the committee submitted a letter requesting a safety and security audit and that, after meetings with the city police chief, the committee agreed to gather preliminary information before recommending a formal audit.
The committee laid out several background items it wants the council to pursue: whether any recent reviews of school security have been completed and, if so, when; what security plans exist and what measures (hardware, training or other) are prioritized; which schools would be covered; and a cost estimate for any proposed measures. Billings said the committee is seeking to understand “what is going to cost” because funds are limited at city, county, state and federal levels.
Council members present commended the committee’s approach. Councilwoman Rogers noted that state representatives have pursued funding for security at Bowie State University, citing a budget request by Sen. Ron Watson. Council member Bridal (transcribed as Bridal) and Council Member Brady urged obtaining the county’s background materials before escalating requests, citing both the need for factual detail and the sensitivity of some security information.
Billings said the committee would welcome a presentation from the county superintendent and the county safety and security officer for schools and would work with city public safety staff to identify the information to request. He said the committee wants to ensure Bowie does not fall lower on priority lists for county resources.
Ending
No formal action was taken at the council meeting; council members supported the Public Safety Committee’s plan to gather background material and to request presentations from county education officials as the next step. Further steps, including any formal audit request, will depend on the information returned by the county and subsequent council direction.
