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Illinois State Police District 13 School Safety Initiative

School Safety
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School Safety

During the first half of 2018 there were over 50 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the country.

With those number typically rising every year the Illinois State Police are taking a proactive approach to protect students.

The new school year has started for many students in the area.

Parents and school buses are safely transporting students to school.

Once they’re at school administrators have to keep students and their selves safe as well.

“I don’t think there’s any more important investment in our schools than the safety of our students and our staff.”

Benton High School Superintendent Aaron Mattox says they go over an annual safety plan and have training for staff with the police department.

“We try to work with our local, our county and our state law enforcement to do everything we can to keep our students safe, not only when they’re coming and going from school but through out the school day.”

Illinois State Police trooper Joshua Haile says last school year District 13 started a school safety initiative to have troopers do walk through of the schools to learn the lay out and get to know the staff.

“We encourage them to not just be going to one specific school like a school resource officer but actually stop and check in at all the schools and see what concerns they might have, but also let us interact with the kids and again be that visual deterrent hopefully if someone were to want to cause harm.”

While students are learning in class the troopers are learning to protect them more effectively.

“In the chance there is a incident there being familiar with the school lay out is definitely beneficial to us.”

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