Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey pledged to step up school security in 2005, saying it was crucial to protect children “from the horrors of terrorism.”
In his first State of the State Address, delivered Jan. 11, the Democratic chief executive said his top priority would be easing residents’ fears about the safety of the Garden State’s 1.4 million schoolchildren in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and the deadly siege of a middle school in Beslan, Russia, last fall.
Read, listen to, or watch Acting Governor Codey’s 2005 State of the State Address, or read “highlights” from his speech.
Mr. Codey, who is scheduled to present his budget proposal late next month, pledged to use state and national experts to compile a security checklist for schools, inspect them for proper safety measures, and provide security training for school personnel.
The longtime legislator was the president of the state Senate when Gov. James E. McGreevey, a fellow Democrat, stepped down in November. Because of the timing of the resignation, Mr. Codey will serve the remaining year of Mr. McGreevey’s term.
The gubernatorial election in November is expected to be hotly contested. Mr. Codey has not yet indicated whether he will run for a full term.
