Duval County School police talk 6 projects funded by state to make schools safer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Duval County Public Schools is working to ensure more of it schools are hard targets against potential outside threats.

This comes as the school district has had time to discuss  the security risk assessment completed for all 156 schools in the district — for a second year.

Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole spoke to Michael Edwards, the director of the Duval County School Police Department.

Edwards told Cole the department has received money to work on six projects to help keep students safer.

"Some of the kids are afraid to go to schools because of the threats that have been happening. They're sneaking guns in. They're sneaking weapons in," said Jossie Jones, a mother of three.

This is exactly what the Duval County School police are working to fight against.

And they're getting help from the state — to do it.

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The agency got a $4.4 million grant in January, received under Senate bill 7026, the Educational Facility Grant.

It allows the department to make safety improvements at schools throughout the district.

Edwards told Cole that charter schools received about $500,000 of the grant as well.

The district highlighted six specific areas:

• Increased lighting
• Perimeter fencing
• The creation of a visitor management system
• A student identification badge system
• Walk-through metal detectors

The one project they're still working on is increasing the number of cameras inside and outside our schools.

Duval County School police told Action News Jax they helped during a shooting at football game at Terry Parker High School in May.

"It was a part of the new camera system where we have deployed cameras not only to the inside, but the outside of the school. And it helped capture that event," said Edwards.

Jones said she believes more parent involvement is ultimately the answer.

"I know everyone doesn't have flexibility, but the ones that are able to be more involved, I think that would be something that's helpful, as well," said Jones.

"Security begins and ends with people, so everyone must be involved with making our schools safe and secure," Edwards said.

One way the Duval County Public Schools is encouraging people to get involved is by downloading the district's app, which we first told you about on Action News Jax in August.

There's a feature called Fortify Florida that allows you to report threats.

Duval County School police said they receive about 10 potential threats each month.

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