By Melissa Lampert, KHTS Staff Writer
After four SCV schools were put on lockdown last week due to two separate incidents,the latest “Santa Clarita Sheriff Talk” on KHTS AM-1220, sponsored by All American Bail Bonds, focused on safety procedures followed by local schools.
Six Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies partner with local school districts to make sure safety plans are in place for the 14 junior high and high schools in the community, while also assisting in covering the valley’s 38 elementary schools.
“The four districts in our valley, we have a cooperation with them so that there’s a plan for every school in case there is an emergency,” said Deputy Tom Drake, school resource deputy for the William S. Hart Union High School District.
Though some may naturally panic when they hear their child’s school has been placed on lockdown, Public Information Officer Shirley Miller emphasized that a lockdown is an example of safety protocols being followed to keep students safe.
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“When a parent hears that term, that is their reassurance that the school does have a safety plan in place, a safety protocol in place, and that they’re prepared,” Miller said.
In reference to the Jan. 1 lockdown of McGrath Elementary School in Newhall, which was instituted due to “an unspecified threat” made on social media by a 11-year-old student who allegedly brought a knife to the school the previous week, Drake added:
“I know it’s tough to say ‘don’t worry,’ but (students) are actually safer (during a lockdown) than on a normal day. There wasn’t really a (credible) threat at the school, so the students were safe, and now you have additional deputies at the school so it’s extra protection.”
The McGrath Elementary School incident required a “soft lockdown” by officials, which means student activity remains normal, but law enforcement presence at the school site is increased for added security, according to Drake.
In the case of what Drake called a “tactical safety situation,” a standard lockdown would be instituted, meaning all student activity would be stopped, and those on campus would “shelter in place” while additional deputies arrive.
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In an effort to familiarize students with procedures and help them understand the purpose of a lockdown, all SCV junior high and high schools started practicing lockdown drills annually about three years ago.
“Every year, junior high and high schools will actually do an active lockdown drill either during a passing period or at lunch,” he said, “so the students understand that it’s important for them to remove themselves from the campus open areas and go to a sheltered location.”
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