Fall 2008 Safe Schools Summit

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The Fall 2008 Safe Schools Summit Sponsored by Delaware County District Attorney Michael Green was a huge success.  On November 19, 2008, over 150 education professionals met at Villanova University to discuss issues related to the safety and well being of the students and staff at schools within the County.  Mike would like to thank everyone involved in the event for his or her efforts.  

The Speakers for the Summit included Michelle Collins, Director of the Exploited Child Unit of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).  Ms. Collins presented information about the multi-disciplinary approach used by NCMEC and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Forces to protect children from sexual exploitation.

Ms. Collins detailed the methodology and efforts of Law Enforcement as well as steps taken by the Internet industry and International counterparts.  Ms. Collins noted the use of cell phones and social networks to exploit students and discussed the obligations of schools to respond to the discovery of evidence of exploitation.

Joseph Lesniak, Esquire, Assistant District Attorney in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, offered guidance on the practical and legal aspects of Protection From Abuse and Custody Orders and how they directly impact primary, secondary and higher education schools.  The presentation focused on approaches and policies schools should utilize to keep their student body and faculty safe and protected.  Mr. Lesniak also discussed problems with stalking incidents and discussed how schools can better recognize, document and combat this type of crime.

Brett A. Sokolow, Esquire, from the National Center for Higher Education Risk Management, addressed how a multi-disciplinary Behavioral Intervention Team in schools and colleges is an effective mechanism for enhancing internal communication and protecting the school and community.  Mr. Sokolow stressed that behavioral intervention teams can pick up on early signs of stalking, relationship violence, abuse, violation of protective orders, non-custodial parental misconduct, mental health issues, risks of suicide, improper online conduct and more.  Mr. Sokolow discussed the best practices for information flow to Team members and methods to disseminate information internally and externally, while adhering to applicable privacy and confidentiality standards.

David Tedjeskie, Director of Public Safety at Villanova University, joined Mr. Sokolow on stage to offer his insight into these important matters. In addition to the formal presentations, the Presenters and Members of the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office School Liaison program were on hand to field specific questions from participants on school safety matters.