SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - A commission investigating the Florida high school massacre learned that many of the state's school districts did not take crime reporting and security assessments seriously before the February slayings.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission heard Thursday that of the state's approximately 3,900 public schools, only 16 completed an optional security assessment in 2017.
Stoneman Douglas did file separate crime reports with the state, reporting zero incidents of bullying among its 3,200 students between 2014 and 2017 and three incidents of vandalism.
The commission heard that such underreporting has been common and isn't penalized.
After 17 people were fatally shot at Stoneman Douglas, the Legislature passed a new law requiring all schools do a security assessment. The deadline was Aug. 1 and almost all schools have complied.
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