Safe Schools Initiative

Putnam County law enforcement has addressed safe school plans in the past, in order to prepare for the possibility of responding to an act of violence that may happen in a Putnam County School. The current Safe Schools Initiative is designed to renew attention to safe schools preparation in order to insure that all steps are being taken to make our schools as safe as possible.

The Initiative began in August of 2006, when Investigators from the Prosecuting Attorneys Office began visiting local schools to update information regarding the floor plans of the schools and to meet with administrators to discuss school safety. A committee has been formed by the Prosecuting Attorneys Office that has representatives of Putnam Law Enforcement Agencies. The Committee will be working on the following objectives, and will be giving a report to the Putnam County Law Enforcement Board at its next meeting:

1. Address the concept of planning for a coordinated law enforcement response to an act of school violence.
    
2. Address the concept of planning for a coordinated law enforcement response to an act of school violence, that takes into consideration and incorporates Putnam County Schools safe school plans and administrative procedures.
3. Insure that current tactical information is available to law enforcement regarding the designs and floor plans of Putnam County Schools.
    
4. Incorporate other emergency service agencies and organizations into safe school planning, such and emergency medical services and volunteer fire departments, to insure a coordinated response to a school incident.
    
5. Provide training to school personal and law enforcement , and emergency service personal to familiarize them with safe school plans, so they can all be prepared to respond to a school emergency if the need should arise.
    
6. Provide training to law enforcement and school personal regarding the signs or characteristics of individuals or students, that may pose a threat to school safety, and to form a communication network to insure that information about potential threats are shared with law enforcement agencies and schools.
    
7. Provide information and training to the community, and to students regarding the need report information to authorities about potential threats to school safety.
    
8. Conduct a review and study regarding how current technology can be utilized to enhance school safety, such as advanced security systems and camera surveillance of common areas in and around schools.