How one metro school system uses money for safety, security

School districts large and small have beefed up security in the past few years.

As “active shooter” has become an everyday phrase and school lockdowns have become common, many taxpayer dollars have gone toward increased police presence, improved security at entry points and, most recently, mental health counselors.

The AJC asked metro Atlanta school districts to share details about security and safety improvements this first half of the 2019-2020 school year. Here is how one of them said it’s using that money.

In partnership with Marietta police and the Department of Justice, the Marietta school system, with 8,900 students at 12 schools, recently received a grant to fund the salaries and equipment for two new Marietta police officer positions. The focus is to prevent and combat gang activity. While there is not a current gang problem in the Marietta City Schools, “this is a step at being proactive instead of reactive,” said Marietta City Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera. “Our strategy is for the officers to build relationships with the students, so if the situation arises where there are threats or dangers, they feel comfortable and confident in talking to the SROs (school resource officers).”

With three officers currently assigned specifically to the high school, middle school and the sixth-grade center, the new officers will be a hybrid between gang task force officers and school resource officers.

CONTRIBUTED BY MARIETTA CITY SCHOOLS Marietta police Officer Paul Hill sits with kindergartner Isabella Kamm recently at Marietta City School’s A.L. Burruss Elementary. The Marietta school system recently received a grant to fund the salaries and equipment for two new Marietta police officer positions.