76A7CE586B5E41208725847B0058B27D Hearing Summary

William Woodward, representing the University of Colorado Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, provided three handouts to the committee (Attachments B, C, and D). He discussed his experience in the area of criminal justice. He spoke about a model program called Safe Communities Safe Schools and talked about existing programs and entities working in the area of school safety in response to specific school shootings.

Mr. Woodward talked about the importance of a comprehensive approach to school safety and listed the foundational areas that comprise such an approach.

Jodi Witt, Director of School Initiatives for the University of Colorado Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, described the Safe Communities Safe Schools model which was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice. She described the components of the model, including engaging with schools and communities, gathering information and developing an action plan. Mr. Woodward spoke about effectiveness in reducing school violence.

Mr. Woodward responded to questions from the committee about how a program qualifies as a model program. Further questioning ensued.

Susan Payne, representing the University of Colorado Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Director of Safety and Security for the Cheyenne Mountain School District, and founder of Safe2Tell, spoke about strategies to improve school safety. She talked about her concerns with the current systems. She responded to questions from the committee about trauma-informed drills.

The committee continued discussing the improvement of school safety with Ms. Payne. Zero tolerance policies and threat management were the focus of the discussion.

Rob Wilcox, Deputy Director of Policy for Everytown for Gun Safety, spoke about what the data shows about gun violence in schools.

Mr. Wilcox continued to discuss responsible storage of firearms and the effectiveness of extreme risk protection orders.