ATLANTA — Many parents are wondering how to protect their kids in school right now. Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes spoke with a safety and security consultant about practical steps school administrators can take to make schools safer.
Jesse Hambrick, a former law enforcement officer with over 30 years of experience, now teaches school administrators all over the state about campus safety. He emphasized that communities shouldn’t believe they are immune to the threat of school shootings.
“We’ve got to quit believing that we’re completely impervious to this problem because there’s literally some kid somewhere planning something today – that we have to identify,” Hambrick said.
One of the key recommendations Hambrick made is to identify five key areas on campus that might have security loopholes for outsiders to exploit.
“You can install a million-dollar security system that can literally be defeated by a kid pushing a door open,” Hambrick explained.
Hambrick also discussed the case of Colt Gray at Apalachee High School. Gray, a student who had several red flags, was supposed to be in the building. Hambrick asserts that students with similar issues exist in other districts right now.