Page 81 - Security Today, October 2019

“That’s what we learned from the shooting in Florida is that education people don’t know enough. We are so thankful for the relationship that we have. They are putting their money where their mouth is, and we can’t appreciate that enough.”
Deputies assigned to the HERO Unit undergo a psychological evaluation, multiple physical fitness assessments, advanced fire- arm proficiency skills and other undisclosed tactical training, “all the while getting used to the overabundant amount of equipment assigned to them,” Wilson said. “Lt. Mark Gerrells, a highly sought-out Special Weap- ons and Tactics [SWAT] instructor, wrote the training program specifically tailored to the requested needs of the premier HERO Unit.”
Wilson said the slots in the specialized unit were filled by veteran law enforcement officers with the right qualifications.
School leaders and the sheriff ’s office command staff work to ensure the right fit of a HERO Unit member in a particular school.
“We work together and make sure that we get them the right people that they are com- fortable with, also,” Wilson said. “We have to be very comfortable with these people that we’re sending over into this position.”
Wilson said school resource officers will remain in the county’s schools, and that their
purpose and function is different from the HERO Unit.
“The school resource officers will remain in the schools,” Wilson said. “They’re going to be very visible and they’re going to be out in the hallways, they’re going to be teaching classes. Our CHAMPS program is still going to be going on in the fifth grade, so you’re not going to lose that piece. And I think that’s the comfort level.”
Ramey said the SROs are on the front lines of discouraging any potential threat, but hav- ing the hidden tactical layer is designed to ensure that any active situation is addressed quickly and ends with minimal casualties.
“They work with each other, but they are separate,” Ramey said. “We’re not losing the SRO. We’re maintaining that friendly pres- ence, that relationship building that instructs and teaches with student interaction and directs traffic with a smile on their face and lets folks in the community know that police officers are here to protect and serve. ”
Hopkins Agrees
Banks County has 2,800 students going into the new school year.
“I knew immediately that we had the opportunity to build something here that would be unique,” Speed said. “When we
started looking for something that we could do differently to try to make sure everybody was safe, I had no qualms at all about saying look at this and see what you can come up with and let’s go down this path and make something that’s unique and different that’s going to work.”
Hopkins said she and Ramey also are very thankful for the unwavering support of the board of education.
“They have listened to every recommen- dation we have made, whether it be about preventive care or how to keep kids safe, and they have not batted an eye,” Hopkins said. “I just can’t thank them enough for the support we have. We’re blessed.”
The HERO Unit began last school year but remained confidential for safety and logisti- cal reasons.
Speed hopes that uniqueness will discour- age anyone who might contemplate causing harm within the school system.
“I don’t know of anybody else anywhere that’s got anything like it, but I think we’ve got something that’s going to save lives and it’s going to protect our children, which is ultimately the goal that we’re all looking for,” Speed said.
Rob Moore is a reporter for AccessWDUN.com. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 | campuslifesecurity.com 9
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