GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Many Metro Atlanta school districts will start the new school year in less than two weeks. The biggest school district in Georgia is rolling out new security measures in the wake of several school mass shootings in the last few years.
Stephanie Roberts remembers one of the most recent shootings, which happened in May at an elementary school in Uvalde.
“It was the day before my kids’ last day of school, and I was terrified to send them on their last day," Roberts said. "The kids killed in Texas were the same ages as my kids.”
Roberts' four kids will attend elementary and middle schools in Gwinnett County this year, and she felt fairly confident in the police force's ability to respond to potential threats. Gwinnett County Schools police chief Tony Lockard said the district employed 98 school resource officers. High schools and middle schools have at least one officer each, however each elementary school does not have a dedicated SRO.
"Elementary schools are the weakest link," Roberts told 11Alive. "I think that’s been proven, because all you have there are the teachers and staff to protect the kids.”
Gwinnett County schools plan to add ten to 20 more SRO's this school year, according to district officials. Applicants must have five years of policing experience and have at least an associate's degree. The district will also implement a new Raptor system, which track sex offenders. Lockard said 15 schools currently have security vestibules that layer safety measures through double-door entry. Nineteen more schools will be retrofitted to use the security vestibules, though it's unclear whether they will be ready by the start of the school year August 3.
“A person has to be buzzed in," Lockard said. "A visitor has to be buzzed in through the first set of doors, and then they check in with a staff member, go through the Raptor system, and at that point when they’re cleared, they’re buzzed through another set of doors.”
The Raptor system does not check for immigration or criminal status. Gwinnett Schools will also implement a new user-friendly tip line, which Lockard said would act as a force multiplier to create a network of information to try and prevent potential threats.
"Safety and security at every school is hard," Lockard said. "You have to draw a fine line between keeping a school safe and making it look like a military installation. We’re continually trying to improve and look at what we can do better to make our schools more safe for students and faculty, and that we’re not just reacting. We’re being proactive.”
Several school districts across metro Atlanta are upping security measures. Cobb County's school board just voted to allow some employees to carry a gun on school grounds. Hall County is spending $1 million on upgrading its security strategy, which includes adding personnel and investing in necessary weapons.
Gainesville City Schools are hiring a safety and security manager and stationing an armed security guard at each school.
Roberts said she was glad to see the new changes in Gwinnett County, despite her concerns, and even if that change happens gradually.
"We’re moving in the right direction," Roberts said. "It’s just kind of sad it took so many school shootings for us to get to this point.”