LONDON, Ky. (WKYT) – The school shooting outside Atlanta is likely prompting school leaders across the country to take a closer look at their security plans.

Safety is a major issue at many Kentucky schools.

A school district in southern Kentucky has its own police force, so education in schools goes far beyond reading and writing.

“We have ongoing active shooter training with all law enforcement here in Laurel County,” said Chief Dan Smoot of the Laurel County Schools Police Department.

WKYT profiled this training last October, but Chief Smoot says it has happened much more often since then. Every time there is a mass shooting, the training process is reevaluated.

“There are things you can do to mitigate the risk, including training, vigilance, we have officers on every campus, 18 of them,” Smoot said.

School leaders also say they participate in threat assessments and work with students on mental health issues. Much of this work is simply about identifying problems before they arise.

They say it is important to stay on top of the situation to avoid tragedies like the one that happened in Georgia on Wednesday.

“I think the role of counselors in schools is critical. So there are a lot of mental health issues these days. I’m sure that was the case in Georgia as well,” Smoot said.

Smoot said he is grateful that the Laurel County Schools administration has made a significant investment to ensure there is a police officer on every campus.

“We are also fortunate to have our local law enforcement, the London Police Department and the Laurel Sheriff’s Department, train with us. We train several times a year.”

Laurel County SROs also participate in state school marshal training, which lasts 40 hours per year.

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.