NEWS RELEASE
December 31, 2012

SHERIFF'S OFFICE PRESENCE IN SCHOOLS TO CONTINUE

Stafford, Va. The Stafford County Sheriff's Office reports that effective Wednesday, January 2, 2013 the Sheriff's Office will continue its increased presence in Stafford County Public Schools.

Currently in Stafford County, all of the high schools have a full time School Resource Officer in each school and the 8 middle schools share 2 School Resource Officers. There are 2 Stafford County deputies assigned exclusively to teach the DARE Program at the elementary level.

Starting Wednesday, January 2 any school that does not have a deputy already assigned to the school will have a patrol deputy who will be required to check on the school during the day. Periodically during the day that patrol deputy will be checking the interior and exterior of the building. After meeting with building level administration, deputies will become familiar with the school's schedule, physical layout, daily procedures and activities to further support a safe teaching and learning environment. It is important to note that the extra presence in all of the schools is precautionary only and not the result of any threats or intended acts of violence made against the schools.

"Never before has the Stafford County Sheriff's Office had a daily presence in every public school in Stafford County," states Sheriff Charles Jett. "While I wish I could place a full time deputy in all of the schools, I do feel that these additional measures will provide extra security to protect our children and the adults that work with them every day."

The Sheriff's Office and Stafford County Schools have always had an ongoing and continuous program of preparation for critical incidents in the schools. The Sheriff's Office will maintain the continuous review of school safety programs with Dr. Bridges, Stafford County School Superintendent and appropriate school personnel in an effort to assist the school division in providing a safe setting for all those who work in the schools.

In the near future the Sheriff's Office will begin work on a new initiative called Protect Our Children Neighborhood Watch Program. The premise of this program is to include neighborhood residents in our attempt to help keep our children safe. The Sheriff's Office will develop a training module, identify residents near schools and host meetings at the schools in the near future. These trained residents will be acting as eyes and ears, assisting the Sheriff's Office in identifying suspicious activities or individuals in the neighborhoods around the schools.