Protecting students in Cayuga County is a top priority for the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office.
Earlier this month, Sheriff Brian Schenck was one of approximately 200 people to visit Parkland, Florida, and tour Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 people were killed by a former student in 2018.
Speaking with Finger Lakes News Radio, Schenck called the experience eye-opening.
“I learned a lot from this,” said Schenck. “This experience was really incredible. It was a very difficult thing to do, but to have this experience, to learn some of these lessons and bring them back, I appreciate the parents of the victims in Parkland that put this opportunity together.”
Schenck added that, since the shooting, Florida has enacted laws that he believes set the bar for school safety nationwide.
“I believe that Florida is really doing an incredible job,” he continued. “I think they’ve set the bar. the state is doing a great job standardizing what needs to be done relative to school safety.”
The sheriff hopes that New York can learn from Florida’s example and standardize school safety practices and procedures. For example, armed School Resource Officers are required in every Florida school but not in New York. Officers provided by the sheriff’s office are all armed though.
The sheriff’s office has partnered with DSS and Cayuga County Mental Health for behavioral threat assessment and management models to identify students with mental health issues or a propensity for violence to get them help before things turn violent. Schenck said he’s proud of the program and would like to see it expanded.
Schenck added that his office will continue to collaborate with schools and other organizations to improve safety in county schools.
