Cops: Police Presence At, Near Schools to Continue

As Newtown, CT, officials prepare to open the discussion on the fate of the Sandy Hook Elementary School building where a lone gunman killed 20 students and six adults, local authorities plan to continue their focus on the safety of schools.

Cartersville City and Bartow County schools students Tuesday return from the holiday break. They'll go back to a continued police presence in and around local schools.

Following the Dec. 14 mass shooting, the Cartersville Police Department and Bartow County Sheriff's Office, along with the Georgia State Patrol, increased patrols in school zones for the week remaining before holiday break.

Police will continue their patrols of the city schools and surrounding areas for the remainder of the school year, said Capt. Mark Camp. Three student resource officers—SRO's or police officers posted in schools—will continue to cover the city's four schools, he added.

Two officers posted at Cartersville Middle School also handle incidents at the elementary and primary schools. And an officer is posted at Cartersville High School, too.

Bartow Schools employ several SRO's to cover its 21 campuses, and Sheriff Clark Millsap says his deputies are are working with them to take it a step further.

In addition to patrolling school zones, Millsap said his deputies will join the school system's SRO's, walking around the school buildings, talking to the students and even having lunch in the cafeterias for more of a police presence.

"I've talked to [Superintendent] Dr. [John] Harper and we're going to do anything and everything we can to protect our kids," Millsap added.

What should local law enforcement or the school systems do to protect our children? Tell us what you think in the comments.

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