* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Rawlings-Blake
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
Title
Informational Hearing - Baltimore City Public School System - Anonymous Call Hotline
FOR the purpose of inviting the CEO of the Baltimore City Public System, the Chief of the Baltimore City School Police, and the Interim Information Chief of the Mayor's Office of Information Technology to brief the City Council on the feasibility of creating a tip phone hotline, where teachers, students, and parents are able to anonymously report acts of school violence, as well as a possible integration of that hotline with 311.
Body
Recitals
Last month, representatives of the Baltimore City Public School System appeared before the City Council to report on their state of readiness for the upcoming school year. During that presentation, the School System presented its revised Code of Conduct. The Council applauds the school system on its efforts to create a more comprehensive and uniform Code. We have been also encouraged by innovative ideas such as the Success Academy and the creation of group specific programming targeting our most at-risk youth, which are examples of more contemporary approaches to alternative educations.
Furthermore, the increased inter-agency cooperation between the Baltimore City School Police, the Baltimore City Police Department, and the Mass Transit Administration has been a tremendous benefit to the safety of our students going to and coming home from school. All of these efforts are major strides in the right direction to insure that our students are safe in and out of the classroom.
However, in addition to these initiatives, the Council believes that the School System can always use more tools to aid its efforts to make our City students and teachers safer. Therefore, we are asking the City School System to brief the Council on the feasibility of creating an anonymous tip hotline where both teachers and students can report threats and acts of violence.
For students and parents, this hotline could be an avenue to disclose vital information about their safety or the safety of their peers and educators, without fear of retaliation. For teachers, this hotline would be a way to report incidents and threats, so to insure the teacher's safety as well as the accuracy of the reporting.
The City has been extraordinarily impressed with the progress made among our City's students and in our schools as a whole. This hearing is meant to further the partnership that has been forged between the City Council and the Baltimore City School System. With a strong relationship between legislator and educator, we can help one another further the well being of our City students.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the CEO of the Baltimore City Public School System, the Chief of the Baltimore City School Police, and the Interim Information Chief of the Mayor's Office of Information Technology brief the Council on the feasibility of creating a tip phone hotline, where teachers, students, and parents are able to anonymously report acts of school violence, as well as a possible integration of that hotline with 311.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the CEO of the Baltimore City Public School System, the Chief of the Baltimore City Public School Police, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the Council.
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