This article originally appeared in The Marietta Daily Journal and was written by Ross Williams. To view the original article, click here.
FULTON COUNTY, GA – When I drop my child off at school, there is a very realistic expectation that shes going to be in a very safe and secure environment and I should not have to worry about certain things, said Shannon Flounnory, executive director of safety and security for Fulton County Schools.
The reality is we all have to worry about certain things, whether it’s my child or it’s your child.
Worrying about those certain things is Flounnory’s job, and the job of the Fulton County Schools Police, a fully-fledged force of 72 sworn officers that includes a criminal investigation unit and SWAT team.
We’re all so indebted to them, said school board member Katha Stuart, who convened a meeting at Mimosa Elementary School in Roswell Sept. 15 to discuss safety issues and other topics. Its such a huge focus for us.
Flounnory presented the crowd of about 40 parents, volunteers and school employees with an overview of some of the county’s safety features. He said protecting students begins at the school door.
If you have ever visited a school to pick up a child mid-school day, you have probably been asked to scan your drivers license and received a printed visitors pass.
When we scan a visitor, we’re just kind of looking at him and saying okay, he’s in the building, Flounnory said.
But if you come to school as a volunteer anyone who will have interactions with students the school system has more information on you.
The system is going to check to make sure [a volunteer] is not on the national sex offender registry in any state in the United States, he said.
Volunteers who will be alone with children, like chaperones on an overnight field trip, must undergo an even more in-depth background check, the same type that teachers undergo.
Inside the school, students are monitored by video cameras, which will be receiving upgrades in the next four years, paid for with SPLOST money. Flounnory said the new cameras will feature the latest in analytic technology.
The way that little Johnny Smith walks, he has a very specific signature, he said. These cameras will capture the way Johnny Smith walks, and we can take that profile and determine if he was in any building in Fulton County Schools.
The video monitoring does not end when kids leave the building. Roswell, Alpharetta, Union City and Hapeville are among the cities whose school buses are equipped with stop arm cameras, which snap photos of cars illegally passing so police can issue citations.
Flounnory said students and parents can use the county’s QuickTip app to confidentially report any safety concerns to his department 24 hours a day.
It could be bullying, it could be weapons, it could be gang activity, it could be drugs, he said. If someones talking suicide, we’ll stop what we’re doing in the middle of the night and get in touch with the local municipality.
