Friday, April 26, 2002
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Friday, April 26, 2002 |
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Safety program garnering high marks Coweta County's school safety program has gone vey well this year. That's the assessment from Eddie Lovett, student support director for the Coweta County School System, who met recently with new Superintendent Peggy Connell. Thirteen Coweta County and Newnan law enforcement officers work with the school system year-round now - all three high schools, the five middle schools and Winston Dowdell Academy have school resource officers assigned to them, and there are three officers work with the Elementary School SAFE program. Along with Sheriff's Department Lt. Lynn Wood, who coordinates law enforcement officers in the school system, there is a total of 13 officers, with plans to hire a 14th next year. "Our SRO program has been a very positive experience," said Lovett. "The officers aren't just there for emergencies, but to listen to the kids and establish a rapport with students." Last summer the school system received certification from the Georgia Emergency Management Authority (GEMA) that its system and school-level safety plans are in compliance with state standards. GEMA also helped Coweta County School reach a goal of that program this year, when it donated weather radios to the schools through Coweta County 911. Part of the safety plan and procedures in Coweta County Schools are random drug and weapons searches at middle and high schools, and those remain a standing procedure with the school system, Lovett said. Ordinarily, at least one such search occurs in the school system each fall and spring. Lovett said the new superintendent supports the procedure. During the random searches, a team of Coweta County law enforcement officers and teachers check schools for weapons, narcotics or other contraband, accompanied by drug-detecting canine units. "We have received really good support from the Sheriff's Department and Newnan Police Department and the Department of Corrections with this program," said Lovett. "The officers are professional and thorough, and follow proce dures of our safety plan," said Lovett. "If there is something there, these teams are going to find it. Though thankfully they usually don't find anything except minor contraband - cigarettes, cell phones and so on." This year, the school system's safety plan was put to an added level of scrutiny following Sept. 11, said Lovett. The plan was reviewed thoroughly, both on its own terms and in light of county and state safety procedures. "But considering what happened on 9-11, things have gone extremely well this year. We've had very few disruptions at all," said Lovett. "We want to remain very safety-conscious, though."
Local law enforcement officers who work with the Coweta County school system's safety policy of random drug and weapons searches include, from left, Sgt. Stan Wicks of the State Department of Corrections and dog "Marco," Coweta County Sheriff's Deputy Mark Storey and "Minka," and Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Fenninger and "Boeda."
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