Districts show interest in safety

Schools can request drones from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced in June that school districts in the state now can request drones from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take photos to assist in school safety plans.

Jill Del Greco, public information officer for the Attorney General’s office, said a number of schools in the state have requested drones since June.

Some Lorain County districts have requested the photos and others are interested

in the opportunity.

Lorain City Schools and Avon City Schools have utilized the free aerial photos.

Elyria City Schools and Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools officials say they are encouraged with the option.

Through this opportunity, schools have the choice to request drones from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Del Greco said.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation currently has six drones that are used primarily to document crime scenes and assist in missing persons cases, she said.

It will take free, high-quality, aerial photos and upload them to the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway to be

included with school safety plans.

Ohio law requires that each school have a safety plan on file for law enforcement to aid authorities in responding to an emergency, Del Greco said.

“When law enforcement responds to a school emergency, they must have as much information about the school as possible,” DeWine said in his announcement. “Right now, school safety plans must include floor plans. But I believe that aerial photos will be an effective tool to help law enforcement plan for and respond to a violent incident.”

Jeff Hawks, chief operating officer for Lorain Schools, said the district requested the Bureau of Criminal Investigation to take photos of all 14 of their schools.

Safety of students and staff is the first thing that

comes to the minds of officials, Hawks said.

“We have our scholars here for a long time and want to make sure that their parents know safety is the most important thing in our district,” he said.

The high quality, aerial photos help improve safety plans in moments such as fire drills, extended site drills or if there is a case where the district has to move the scholars to different locations.

These photos give layouts for school safety plans which can create a quicker response time from local law enforcement in any emergency, Hawks said.

“This opportunity can ensure better safety of our scholars and staff,” he said. “We appreciate (the state’s) help in ensuring our districts safety.”

Mike Laub, superintendent of Avon Schools, said his district was used as a pilot in the safety initiative.

Laub said DeWine’s office asked Avon to participate in the new opportunity last spring to see how the photos could help with security.

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation only took a photo of the district’s middle school, but Laub said the agency plans to move forward and take photos of all schools.

“(The drone photos are) really neat because it gives our law enforcement a lot to look at and understand the layout of our facilities,” he said. “The photos showed that it was worth while because the only thing we submit in our safety plans are maps.”

Laub said the high-quality aerial photos can help law enforcement or school officials track things easier than by using a map.

“These photos are the only way to another piece (of safety) that can help if there is an emergency,” he said. “I have a feeling (the opportunity) will really hit, as the school year opens.”

Because the option is still fairly new, many don’t know about it yet, Laub said. But he said he hopes other school districts will take advantage of the free opportunity.

Mike Cook, superintendent of Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools, said he was unaware of the drone safety program.

However, Cook said he would like to take advantage of it because with the photos, creating a plan would be much easier when looking at different angles and close-ups.

Cook said these actions immensely can enhance the district’s plan.

“Any opportunity to enhance our plan is a positive for any district,” he said.

Jacob Carmany, director of business services and assists in school safety at Elyria City Schools, also said he was unaware, at first.

However, after looking into the option, he said he is looking to discuss it with school officials in the near future.

“If it comes to safety of our students and staff, the district will take the next step,” Carmany said.

The district also would be interested in utilizing the drones once a complete safety plan can be made after the five new schools are built, he said.

“Ensuring that students and teachers are protected during the school day is an important responsibility for all Ohio communities,” DeWine said. “Although the Attorney General’s Office does not have oversight or authority over Ohio schools, I have always believed that it is important to use the resources of this office in any way we can to help Ohio’s kids.”

Local law enforcement, in coordination with school administrators, can request the Bureau of Criminal Investigation take aerial photos of schools in their area by calling 855-224-6446.