Scott Commemorates the Tragedies at Virginia Tech

“Today marks the one year anniversary of the massacre that occurred on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University on April 16, 2007.  On that day, the University experienced the loss of more than 30 members of the Virginia Tech family and the injury of several more in this tragic school shooting.  Through this tragedy, we saw the support of students, families, organizations and governmental entities around Virginia and even around the country pull together to support Virginia Tech and help them through their hour of need.

“This tragedy highlighted the fact that our universities need more guidance on how to prevent these types of situations and how to handle them in the unfortunate event that they occur.  For this reason, I introduced a provision in the House passed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that would create a National Center for Campus Public Safety.  This Center will train campus public safety agencies, encourage research to strengthen college safety and security, and serve as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of information related to the best practices relevant to campus public safety.  The implementation of this program would help to prevent the type of events that occurred at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2008.  It is my hope that the Higher Education Conference Committee will include this provision in the final version of the Act so that we may prevent future tragedies from occurring unnecessarily.

“I continue to offer my thoughts and prayers to those affected by this tragedy and commend the Virginia Tech community on its strength and perseverance in celebrating life and learning.”

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