Technology saves: 'Students should never have to worry': Lee Sheriff's Office using technology to protect schools "If we were to receive a tip through social media of a possible threat, immediately, that is investigated by that law enforcement agency within that jurisdiction," Newlan said. Newlan said the school district partners with the Lee County Sheriff's Office Cape Coral Police Department Fort Myers Police Department and Sanibel Police Department, who provide schools with the resources. He says the Lee County School District takes social media threats seriously. "The idea of that is to get ahead of it," Newlan said. "To prevent it before it happens." The county's high schools have two resource officers on site. Middle and elementary schools have one deputy assigned, Newlan said. The district ramped up training and technology this summer to respond to threats. Lee County responding to increased school dangersĭavid Newlan, executive director for safety, security and emergency management at the Lee County School District, said school resource officers conduct random searches to seize weapons. While parents say they're aware that local school districts are doing everything in their power, they also say they're worried for their child's safety. Random searches and educational programs make up for the absence of metal detectors here. Schools in Lee and Collier counties are taking steps to bring those numbers down. In contrast, Collier County schools experienced more than a 120% increase in the same timespan. Lee County schools saw a 30% jump in weapons possession on school grounds during the 2020-21 school year compared to 2019-20.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno urges repeatedly: "See something, say something."Īs Southwest Florida school officials attempt to remove firearms and other weapons from school grounds, they rely on students to alert adults. But school officials say no local student has been injured as a result of those weapons. "It's incredibly important that we're talking to students about the dangers of gun violence, but also what they can do to stay safe." "Certainly, we're seeing a rise of firearm violence in our country, and one segment that is being particularly impacted is youth," Schildkraut said. Jaclyn Schildkraut, an associate professor at SUNY Oswego's criminal justice department and a national expert on mass shootings, says there's been a nationwide surge in these types of incidents since, partly caused by the pandemic. While experts say there's a nationwide surge in the number of weapon incidents since 2020, local police and school officials say they consistently train to assess threats and are ready to prevent the unthinkable. They make connections with students, watch for contraband and note oddities. Southwest Florida school districts have at least one resource officer at each building some have two. area, says that after the Uvalde, Texas elementary school shooting that killed 19 students and two adults he feels secure. Kaufman, who recently moved from the Washington, D.C. More: Cape Coral 10-year-old perp-walked by Lee sheriff pleads not guilty in school threat case While police say they've uncovered plots to kill students or place bombs in schools, Southwest Florida has escaped a growing trend of children injured or dying in the classroom, despite an increase in the number of weapons confiscated within their borders.īy the way: South Fort Myers High student arrested after tip he brought gun to school "We felt it a little weird at first that we have not been able to go into the school and meet the teachers." "Down here it is extremely, extremely secure," Kaufman said. When Samuel Kaufman drops his two children off at Trafalgar Middle School, in Cape Coral, he says he expects to see them return home safely.