Vice-President Pat Slagle and School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker at School Board meeting (August 30, 2022)

The Jamestown School Board passed a new district-wide safety plan at its meeting Tuesday.

New York State requires all school districts adopt a safety plan.

School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said School Safety Advisor Brad Meyers did something different with the safety plan this year, “So safety plans are in two parts – one is buildings which is intentionally confidential and the other one is the district which is a little more general. Brad (Meyers) took the concept from the building plans and incorporated them into the district plans. So the district plans supports all of the building plans.”

At a public hearing on the plan, the question was asked which buildings would have school resource officers and if the SROs are part of the safety plan. Meyers said one resource officer will be located at Jamestown High School with the new SRO moving between schools. He said the district uses multiple “red shirt” safety officials at the high school with one “red shirt” at each of the middle schools.

Meyers said, coming out of the Pandemic restrictions, some things will be easier in regards to public safety, “Going back to single point of entry on the schools. Things of that nature, getting back to using the cafeteria collectively, at the same time. Those things actually help us with the security issues and we’ll be continuing to practice with the building level emergency response teams again this year as we did last year.”

Meyers added that the new Resource Officer will be engaged with students at the Middle Schools, including instructional time.

Jamestown School Board President Paul Abbott and JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker (June 7, 2022)

Jamestown School Board President Paul Abbott called for more action from elected officials on gun control in the wake of recent school shooting in Texas.

Following a moment of silence for the 21 victims of the school shooting in Texas, Abbott, speaking at the school board meeting Tuesday, encouraged political leaders at the state and federal levels to do something, “It’s just absurd that these things continue to happen in this country. It’s absurd that people have access to military-grade body armor. I was a police officer and I didn’t have military-grade body armor. The assault weapons that we allow people to possess and allow people to sell.”

Abbott criticized the officials who aren’t willing to support change, “And for politicians who can’t make changes in that and in our mental health system, I would ask them to stand in a classroom with second and third graders and their parents and explain to them why it’s more important for people to have access to these sorts of things than it is to protect them.”

Abbott added that despite the budget already being passed, he’d like the board to discuss before next school year the possibility of adding more “red shirt” safety officials in the building or School Resource Officers.

In regards to the recent incident where a fourth grader made a threat against another student at Ring School in addition to recent times where schools had “lockout” situations, Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said the district is in a “state of heightened concern.”

He said the increased attention from the media and social media can sometimes cause others to act out, “And this is the case, and I stay in touch with lots of superintendents across the state, this is the case across the state. There have been numerous events of this kind all the way across the state from Long Island to Jamestown. And it’s an unfortunate fact of our society that there are some individuals who would engage in behavior that would cause a school to go into lockout or have to have conversations with parents about this sort of thing.”

Whitaker said, however, he always errs on the side of caution, “So if we had to do something that turned out to not to be necessary, I would do that a thousand times rather than miss the one time we should have done something and we didn’t.”

Whitaker, in response to questions raised by a parent during privilege of the floor about why no information was provided about the status of a student who made a threat against Ring Elementary School earlier this week, said the district under Federal privacy law cannot legally disclose information when it comes to student records and information, “So for example, in a disciplinary matter relating to a school incident, the school is not allowed to disclose what happens with that student. And that has led to understandable frustration if you’re unaware of this. We would love to calm fears by releasing information, but that is illegal. It’s not something we’re allowed to do.”

Whitaker said the district is still in the process of debriefing with District School Safety Advisor Brad Meyers leading the process to determine what further strategies and systems to implement. He added the second School Resource Officer who will be working in elementary school buildings in the Fall was already at Ring school Monday working with students.

Jamestown Public Schools

Meyers will review and update the district’s safety plan on a yearly basis. In addition, he will coordinate all safety training, educational materials and provide guidance in promoting awareness on a variety of safety issues and promoting prevention programs, ensuring that JPS complies with state and federal safety regulations.

Meyers will also conduct workshops with staff, students and families about important safety issues, and provide consultation and assistance for schools’ safety needs including drills, inspections and crisis response plans.

The Jamestown Post-Journal says Chief Brad Meyers said in a press conference on Thursday that the Patrolman involved in the shooting was Nathan Scriven, a 15-year member of the Fredonia Police Department.

Scriven shot a male subject outside of 76 Liberty St. around 1:45 p.m. Monday while responding to a call of a man barricaded in a bathroom of the residence. When Scriven arrived on the scene, the male reportedly came at the officer with a knife. Scriven left the home but was followed by the knife-wielding subject and the officer eventually shot him, claiming self-defense.

Chief Meyers also said the State Attorney General’s office reviewed footage from a body camera and determined the incident did not require further involvement by the state in investigating the incident.

The Chautauqua County District Attorney’s office is now the lead agency in the investigation.

The name of the man who died has not been released.

According to the Jamestown Post-Journal, the shooting took place at a home at 76 Liberty Street in the village just before 2 p.m.

Fredonia Police Chief Brad Meyers said the incident involved the Fredonia Police Department responding to assist the Fire Department with a call at the address. On arrival, the subject – whose name is not being released – allegedly attacked one of the officers with a knife. The officer retreated out of the house and to the street. But because the subject continued to approach he was shot by the officer.

Because the incident involved an officer shooting, officials from the New York State Attorney General’s Office where on the scene to investigate.

The officer – whose name is not being released – was not injured in the incident. He reportedly has more than 15 years on the job with the Fredonia Police Department.  He is currently on leave as the investigation by state officials continues.