DeKalb schools install new security measures to keep students safe

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The deadly school shooting in Florida on Wednesday is the kind of violence that is alarming school districts, including DeKalb County.

The day before the shooting happened, DeKalb County School District officials showed Channel 2's Carol Sbarge some of the new safety steps it is taking, including buying metal detectors.

DeKalb School Police got two K-9s in January that have already done three random searches so far this year. One of the dogs is trained to look for explosives. One of the explosive odors he can detect is gunpowder.

Last month, someone brought a gun to Martin Luther King Jr. High School in DeKalb County. Deputy School Superintendent Vasanne Tinsley said they realized there had already been at least 15 gun incidents nationwide since the start of 2018. That prompted the district to move quickly with its new initiative.

Tinsley said the district is getting five metal detectors to try out in a pilot program this spring. Then, it will evaluate the logistics and decide whether to get enough detectors to install them in all schools for the fall.

Another new safety feature is being built in new DeKalb County schools. A rolling door can come down in a lobby, blocking someone suspicious from entering any hallway or classes.

Administrators are also asking all of the principals for their ideas on what needs to be done about school security, and students are being taught to tell someone if they see or hear anything that doesn’t seem quite right.

Cox Media Group