How local schools are improving safety after last year’s shootings

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Students return to school in Parkland, Florida today with a new emphasis on safety after the deadly shooting over the winter.

Tennessee state officials are taking no chances on school security this year.

Governor Bill Haslam has since created a school safety committee, and most counties have now checked in.

He has been urging state schools to leave no room for error when it comes to student safety this year.

“It’s open..everything from school resource officers, physical improvements in the schools…video monitors.”

And in most schools that’s exactly what has been installed.

The aim, of course is to avoid in the Volunteer State a scene like the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland Florida in February that left 17 students and staff dead.

Those students went back to school today under heavy security.

In Hamilton county, most of those duties fall to School Resource officers who now have extra training.

“school resource officers are sheriff’s deputies first and foremost. And so they all go through the same hiring process even as a patrol deputy would, and that’s a pretty lengthy process they go through…but in addition to that they have a 40 hour basic SRO course they go through.”

Tim Hensley with the Hamilton County school system says “Our SRO’s walking around the schools..knowing the students, getting to know them, understanding their situation that they are involved in and helping students to really connect with a law enforcement official.”

Governor Haslam set aside 35 million dollars to improve school security funding was now available to districts, especially those who identified security and safety needs.
A comprehensive assessment of those procedures will be finished by the end of the month.
It’s a done deal in Hamilton county.

“EVEN though the plans are done now and turned into the state, you continuley review those and practice them and drill them during the year so that we make sure that we’re as prepared as we can be to keep students safe.”

As of Tuesday, 1,796 schools – or about 99 percent of Tennessee’s public schools – have completed the security assessment.