Governor Kathy Hochul meets with State Police, State Education Department on school safety (March 31, 2023)
While New York State has heightened monitoring in response to over a dozen “swatting” calls received by school districts last week, Jamestown Public Schools has also provided a safety update.
Governor Kathy Hochul met with state public safety and education leaders on Friday to coordinate preparedness and safety measures to ensure all school districts and local police have the latest guidance on school safety protocols.
Hochul, New York State Police, and the State Education Department issued a letter to school leaders directing them to review preparedness and safety measures in the wake of Monday’s school shooting in Nashville and increased “swatting” calls.
The state recommended that in the aftermath of the shooting and subsequent false threats of violence, school officials may wish to postpone any scheduled drills to reduce the risk of additional trauma to students and staff while maintaining awareness of processes and procedures to keep students and staff safe.
They also recommended schools that conduct drills should do so with the utmost care and caution and inform all participants that it is a drill.
The state also said that schools should immediately review building-level response plans, meet with staff assigned to critical Incident Command System roles, and follow annual drill requirements.
In a notice sent out by Jamestown Public Schools on Friday, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker laid out existing safety measures in the district as well as measures that will be implemented soon that include Incident Command System refresher training for building leaders, upgrades to door access systems district-wide, upgraded door alarms, a violence interrupter program in the community, and upgrades to security system and camera systems.
Dr. Whitaker again encouraged volunteer to join the district’s Community Safety Committee. Those who are interested may call (716) 483-4420.
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