Community Corner

What Can Be Done to Protect Our Schoolchildren?

The mass shooting in Connecticut raises the question of whether our local schools are as secure as they could be.

Any parent with a school-aged child can surely relate to the horror and anxiety parents at a Connecticut school are experiencing in the aftermath of today's tragic events.

More than two dozen people are dead, including 18 children, after a Dec. 14 rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Conn.

Newtown Patch is posting live updates about the shooting, which was reportedly carried out by an adult male who is now dead.

Find out what's happening in Bufordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The shooter, believed to be the son of a kindergarten teacher at the school, entered the school with multiple guns and began shooting.

In Gwinnett County Public Schools, visitors are asked to check in at the front office upon entering the school, but the front doors to the schools typically remain unlocked. In light of today's shooting, additional security measures will be put in place -- at least temporarily. According to a Gwinnett County Police Department press release, there will be an increased police presence in and around area schools for the next several days.

Find out what's happening in Bufordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"These increased patrols will a joint effort with the Gwinnett County School Police and uniformed officers with the Gwinnett County Police Department. Officers will be assigned to every school within Gwinnett County Police jurisdiction and these patrols will last for the next several days," said GCPD public information officer Cpl. Ed Ritter in a released statement.

"The Gwinnett County Police Department takes the safety and welfare of all of the citizens within Gwinnett County seriously. The Department is conducting this proactive measure to help prevent any type of 'copy cat' or similar incident from occurring within Gwinnett County," Ritter added.

What security measures are in place at your child's school? Do you feel these measures are adequate? Are there security measures you would like to see implemented at your child's school? Let us know in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here