INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — As students across the nation held campus walkouts to protest gun violence and call for changes in gun laws, authorities announced that more officers will patrol all public school campuses.
“These (school resource officers) will be on campus throughout the entire school day and will be dedicated to the site throughout the school year,” School District of Indian River County Superintendent Mark Rendell said Wednesday. “This increased level of security is a key element in our effort to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff.”
Rendell, joined by the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference at the School District headquarters. The decision to increase law enforcement presence comes on the one-month anniversary of one of the worst mass shootings in Florida’s history.
The shooting happened when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz – a former student – fatally shot 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Rendell spoke standing alongside Sheriff Deryl Loar and local police chiefs from Vero Beach, Sebastian and Fellsmere.
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Indian River County authorities made the move nearly a week after Gov. Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Public Safety Act. The new law allows for more than $400 million to be used statewide to bolster school safety and mental health initiatives, authorities said.
“We are grateful to Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature for providing the additional funds for staffing, hardening our structures, and addressing the mental health concerns within our schools,” School Board Chairman Shawn Frost said. “We pray a threat never comes, but we are much better prepared today and will be even better prepared in the coming weeks and months. Our children must be kept as safe as possible.”
The act “makes significant reforms to make Florida schools safer, while keeping firearms out of the hands of mentally ill and dangerous individuals,” a governor’s news release states.
Rendell said the School District already has had officers stationed at campuses county wide. With this increased law enforcement presence, he said, officers will expand their services from middle and high schools to now include elementary schools, the Technical Center for Career and Adult Education, and the Wabasso school.
“I believe our community is very fortunate to have such dedicated law enforcement agencies that have not hesitated to work together to make this happen,” Rendell said. “This is just one of the steps in our effort to provide a safe learning environment for our students and staff. We continue to evaluate our policies and procedures, which cover safety and security.”
School officials and law enforcement held the conference at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the School District headquarters, 6500 57th Street.
“Today is a safer day in Indian River County. We are proud to partner with the School District of Indian River County to have law enforcement in every public school in the county,” Sheriff Deryl Loar. “Our deputy sheriffs now staff public schools from first bell to last bell every school day, and will do so from today forward.”
Sebastian police Chief Michelle Morris said that as a parent and law enforcement leader, it’s important for officers to make sure kids our safe.
Sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Eric Flowers said school resource officers will be stationed at the charter schools, but not yet to private schools.
“We are speaking to the private schools and may provide coverage in the future,” Flowers said. Vero Beach police already have officers stationed at St. Helen’s Catholic School, officials said.
Flowers said the extra security throughout the remainder of the year will cost the Sheriff’s Office an additional $100,000. Current deputies were given temporary assignments to take on the school resource officer position, he said.
This story will be updated.