Suffolk County "utilizing every available tool" to keep schools safe, officials say
MELVILLE, N.Y. -- With the school year quickly approaching, Suffolk County officials want to reassure parents that their children will be safe in the classroom.
Being proactive is something parents say they definitely appreciate as they get their kids ready for the first day.
"Back to school, back to sports, all that good stuff," Lindenhurst parent Doreen Frank said.
Frank and her son Max were doing some back-to-school shopping, but she told CBS2's Andrea Grymes amid the excitement was also nervousness.
"I think for every mother, safety for their children is always number one, top priority, always. Especially in this day and age," she said.
From classroom threats to mass shootings, parents and school children have more to worry about than ever.
Friday, Suffolk County officials held a news conference, seeking to put them at ease as a new school year gets underway.
"We're here today to reassure our communities that we're utilizing every available tool and asset that we have at our disposal to help keep our schools safe," Suffolk County Exec. Steve Bellone said.
Their plans range from more simple initiatives, like enforcing school speed zones to keep pedestrians safe, to the more complex, like increasing active shooter drills.
The Suffolk County executive and police commissioner both vowed if the worst happens, Suffolk officers will immediately stop the threat, unlike what happened in Uvalde, Texas, where law enforcement waited more than an hour before confronting a school shooter.
"I can guarantee we will not be waiting 75 minutes," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said.
"That would not happen here," Bellone said.
Suffolk officials say 53 out of 71 public school districts, plus 19 private schools, have signed up for the free Rave panic button mobile app since it launched in the county in 2018. It quickly alerts first responders to active shooters and other emergencies while also communicating details to school staff.
"We're going to work with the multiple superintendents in all the school districts to make sure when we are notified, we are ready to respond," Harrison said.
We're told just over 30 Suffolk districts are enrolled in another free initiative called "Share." It allows schools to link up their security cameras to the Suffolk County Police Department so officers have access in case of an emergency.