By Chris Finnie
With school violence in the news, the Bulletin reached out to several county agencies to see what they’re doing to keep children safe in local schools.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Brian Cleveland, public information officer with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s office gave us the welcome news that the San Lorenzo Valley has one of the lowest rates of violent crime in the county. But that doesn’t mean they don’t plan for school violence.
Cleveland said the department does have a school resource officer at SLV High, who is also responsible for the elementary school next door.
The sheriffs also do lockdown training with schools every year. They’ll also do situation training if schools ask for it. In addition, they offer free training to churches, companies, and other organizations. They teach three principles: Run, hide, fight. The training helps people know when to use each and how to remember to use them in chaotic situations. Cleveland believes that the more you prepare for something, the better you’ll respond.
In the event of a violent event, every deputy and patrol sergeant carries a patrol rifle, as well as ballistic hard-plate vest and helmet. They also carry a non-lethal “beanbag” rifle that they would use if somebody had a knife, or if they can’t tell if they’re armed. This is because the first person on scene is trained to make entry to try to stop whatever is happening. If shots are not being fired, they may wait for more resources, so they can do a systematic search of the campus.
If there is a threat on campus, there is a multi-agency response. Cleveland says, “Everybody in the county is going to come. This includes local police departments, State Parks, Fish and Game, CHP, CalFire and any other public agency that hears the radio call for assistance.
Cleveland said the hard part is getting people to come forward when they hear of threats. They encourage people to follow this principle: “If you see something, say something.” Call 911. Talk to a deputy and report it. The deputies will contact parents and school administrators and investigate it. He wants to make it easy for kids to bring things up to parents, school staff, or to your local sheriff and says, “We’re here to help. It’s better to be safe than sorry and report things you see and hear.”
County Office of Education
The Santa Cruz County Office of Education says each school within its district has its own school safety plan. Each of these plans is then approved by the Board of Trustees in each district. Inside of each school safety plan is a countywide threat assessment plan. Plans may include:
Mandates for administrators, teachers, families, pupils, support staff, and community members to recognize and make “appropriate use” of the early warning signs related to violence, substance abuse, and other concerns.
A staff handbook with contingency plans for emergencies. Staff members review the plan annually at orientation and schools practice various drills. Staff also reviews protocol for other crisis situations during in-service training days.
Staff referrals to community agencies and/or counseling and mental health resources when they think it’s necessary. They make persistent efforts to involve parents or guardians and encourage them to participate in pupil intervention programs.
On-site, collaborative problem-solving teams to prevent and intervene in aggressive behavior. Staff members can also get training in conflict resolution and mediation, abuse reporting, behavior management, diversity, and gang awareness.
If You See Something, Say Something
The upshot is that county agencies do have training and plans in place to try to prevent a tragedy. But, as Sergeant Cleveland pointed out, they can only respond to what they know about. If you have a family member in one of our local schools, it’s important to let them know that family, teachers, school administrators, and law enforcement will take their concerns seriously. They want to respond before anybody gets hurt. And they need the help of students and their families to do it.
Non-emergency phone numbers:
San Lorenzo Valley Service Center, Boulder Creek: 831-454-7400
Felton Service Center: 831-461-7400