Panel discusses proactive school safety strategies for NEA schools

Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Northeast Arkansas parents, school officials and community leaders gathered on Thursday to discuss investing in proactive school safety strategies.

The four panelists included Dynamic Integrated Security (DIS) chief operating officer and author of “In the Line of Fire, Protecting Lives in Active Shooter Situations,” Zeev Fragachan, Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver, Jonesboro Public Schools (JPS) director of safety and security Todd Nelson, and JPS superintendent Misty Doyle.

During the discussion, the panel spoke about solutions that could strengthen NEA schools and communities, as well as the new JPS and DIS safety partnership that began in August, which brought commissioned school security officers (CSSOs) to JPS campuses.

Questions included what drove the JPS and DIS partnership, how JPS uses the CSSOs, how community well-being and school safety are connected, opportunities for continued improvement, the importance of mental health, and current and future technologies to improve school safety.

After the discussion, Fragachan told JRN he felt the partnership had allowed schools and community leaders to work as a team.

“It’s not who did it and who is the protagonist or who has the best solution; it’s what we’re going to do collectively. I cannot be everywhere. Police officers cannot be everywhere. We all can be everywhere if we work together,” Fragachan said. “That’s the only solution we can do as a society and as a community that will prevent the next tragedy, because that’s all that it is. It’s not if it’s going to happen, it’s when it’s going to happen.”

“Our ultimate goal is to have all our kids going to school safe, knowing that there’s somebody there who is going to take care of their safety. And it’s going to be second to impossible to try to attack that school and mess with my kids,” he added

Copenhaver also noted the importance of hosting a panel and addressing questions and concerns.

“It’s about how do we educate each other on the practices that we can improve on for our community, and how we can utilize our communication and technology by doing that,” Copenhaver said. “It’s working together. It’s about resources and funding. And so, the schools and the state need to really see that our priorities are our youth and how we are investing in those priorities. We need to keep our students safe.”