Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office partners with state agencies to promote, enforce school safety

A Hamilton County Sheriff's Office vehicle is seen at the scene of a shooting on the 9100 block of Broyles Drive on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
A Hamilton County Sheriff's Office vehicle is seen at the scene of a shooting on the 9100 block of Broyles Drive on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tenn.


The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has joined the state's chiefs' and sheriffs' associations in an effort to better detect and prevent threats of school violence.

Over 100 chiefs of police and sheriffs from across the state gathered at a summit Thursday to better equip themselves on how to handle possible threats to schools and ensure the safety of students and teachers, according to a news release.

"Our goal working together with the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police is to have each of the school resource division leaders review all areas of school safety and security," Jeff Bledsoe, who retired from the Dickson County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office in June 2020 to become the executive directer of the Tennessee Sheriffs' Association, said in an email to the Chattanooga Times Free Press on Friday.

Some of the concerns brought up during the summit, which was in Franklin, Tennessee, were identifying steps to break down information and training silos to encourage more collaborative efforts and broad discussion on legislative needs and potential funding opportunities, Bledsoe said.

The Times Free Press reported last week about a threat made to a Hamilton County school. An Ooltewah High School student was quickly taken into custody the same day. Earlier this year, a 10-year-old Middle Valley Elementary student brought a firearm to the campus, saying it was mistakenly left in a backpack over the weekend. In both incidents, the situation was resolved without having to close the school.

Bledsoe added that the summit also discussed several possible physical site security improvements; discussed the underutilization of innovative technology solutions as they relate to improved school safety; and discussed key preparation steps based on lessons learned from acts of violence in schools across the country.

The summit was the first of a series of events to be co-sponsored by the sheriffs and chiefs of Tennessee to bring attention to school violence and safety, according to the release.

(READ MORE: Tennessee to install first of many adult changing tables in state rest areas)

When asked about plans moving forward to train school resource deputies to enforce safety on campus, Bledsoe said attendees will learn these things as the summits continue.

"Plans for the next summit will include state-based law enforcement, training officials from state and local agencies and educational leaders," Bledsoe said. "We will continue to learn from everyone involved and determine the best course of action to follow."

Contact La Shawn Pagán at lpagan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6476. Follow her on Twitter @LaShawnPagan.


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