There was no shortage of blue lights Wednesday, October 2 on the campus of Berkeley County School District's Westview schools.
To passersby at a distance, it may have looked alarming. Those within a stone's throw knew it to be something much more positive -- something with the intent of making a difference.
With National Coffee with a Cop Day slated for October 2 this year, BCSD partnered with the Goose Creek Police Department on an event aimed at informing community members on what's done behind the scenes to protect students and staff on school campuses. The event also provided an opportunity for children to mingle with law enforcement officers and district safety/security personnel.
“If nothing else, we want our community members to see and know that we are here and maintain safety and security as the top priority on our campuses,” said BCSD Director of Security and Emergency Management, Tim Knight. “Safety is never being satisfied, and while we continue to build new layers into the management of potential emergency situations, we are always open to hearing feedback and easing concerns.”
Officials with the Goose Creek Police Department described the event as “positive.” In addition to being able to speak with adults about concerns, they said the opportunity to engage junior residents was beneficial.
“The Goose Creek Police Department enjoys working with all of our community partners,” said GCPD Chief LJ Roscoe. “We also love knowing that we can make a positive impact in people’s lives to include our junior residents. We hope events such as this leave long term happy memories among adults and children here in Goose Creek.”
While BCSD regularly hosts security and emergency management sessions for employees and community members, this specific type of event was a first for the district. Knight said its attendance and positive engagement provided a roadmap for similar events in the future.
“We are already looking at having similar meetings – Sunrise Safety/Security Talks – maybe once per quarter,” Knight said.
* Coffee at this event was donated by Biggby Coffee of Goose Creek.
This year a grant awarded by the State Department of Education allowed our security and emergency management team to purchase weapons screeners like the one pictured here. The screeners are currently being utilized at BCSD home football games.
In the wake of social media rumors and threats that recently impacted school districts all over the country, we continue to encourage staff members and students to submit any concerns via our tip line.
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