Police amp up school safety

by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
   Ensuring a smooth start to the new academic year will be a top priority for South Brunswick Police Department as schools open this week.
   The department is running its annual Operation Safe Schools initiative today (Thursday) and Friday, which is designed to help ensure a smooth and safe opening for all of the township’s schools, according to police spokesman Sgt. Jim Stoddard.
   Operation Safe Schools began as a response to the shootings at Columbine High School, according Sgt. Stoddard; however, it is not part of a larger program.
   ”This is a local program, it isn’t part of any national campaign,” Sgt. Stoddard said. “It is something that our agency has developed over the years specifically for our community.”
   The initiative involves assigning uniformed officers to each of the township’s schools to increase the security in the hectic first days of the school year. The officers will monitor street crossings and enforce traffic rules, in addition to monitoring the grounds.
   ”The objective is to increase safety,” Sgt. Stoddard said. “That includes traffic and pedestrian issues, as well as security issues.”
   The department normally has one officer specifically assigned to the high school, and another for the township’s two middle schools and seven elementary schools.
   In addition, the department will be stepping up patrols near schools for the next two weeks after the program, to increase the police presence around each building, Sgt. Stoddard said.