State of South Carolina

Office of the Governor

 

David M. Beasley

Governor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                     Contact: Gary Karr

August 17, 1998                                                                                      803/734-9840

 

GOVERNOR JOINS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO FIGHT SCHOOL CRIME

(Columbia) – Governor David M. Beasley today joined with Attorney General Charlie Condon to give educators and law enforcement new tools to combat violence in schools.

The Governor issued an Executive Order requiring the Department of Juvenile Justice to push for prosecution for juveniles charged with violent crimes on school property. The order would compliment the Attorney General’s directive today banning plea bargaining in cases where a violent crime has been committed on school property.

“Everyone who hears this should consider it their first and only warning: we will not allow school children in South Carolina to be victimized,” Governor Beasley said. “If you commit a violent crime on school property, you will do time.”

The directives from the Attorney General and the Governor will help “give all teachers and students a safe and calm school, so that everyone can focus on what’s important: learning,” Governor Beasley said.

The Governor praised the Attorney General for his tough-on-crime policies. “Charlie Condon knows we have to attack crime on many fronts, and he works hard to give parents, educators and communities the tools they need to put violent criminals where they belong, in jail,” Governor Beasley said.

The new orders are another step in the Governor’s continuing fight to keep schools safe. Earlier this month, the Governor promised to put money in his executive budget next year for law enforcement officers in junior high, middle and high schools in South Carolina.

The Governor earlier this year signed the 1998 Safe Schools Act, which created resource officers and granted them the power to arrest those suspected of crimes. Under that and previous legislation the Governor strongly supported, students caught with guns face one-year explusions. Also, those who commit crimes against school personnel get stiffer penalties.

 

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