Before return to classes, Harford County Public Schools holds safety town hall
BEL AIR, Md. -- Months after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the deadliest in the U.S. in a decade, Harford County is ensuring they're prepared to keep students safe this upcoming school year.
"My biggest fear is my child not coming home," said Gillian Miller, a mother of four children who attend Harford County Public Schools.
It's why HCPS held a safety and security town hall Wednesday addressing their plans for any school emergency, including school shootings, fires and severe weather.
The virtual town hall invited police and parents to weigh in.
"We are in some really contentious times and it makes me worried," said Miller.
Last year, students made over 900 threats of violence to themselves or others in Harford County. Of those, 95 involved a weapon.
"Depending on the level of threats, we actually go out to the residents, speak to the guardians and parents, and assess it further from there," said Bel Air Police Chief Charles Moore.
School officials also discussed everyday challenges they're planning for, including mental health and bullying.
Miller said ways to address both of those things would be more social workers than school resource officers (SRO's) in school "to know what's going on emotionally with our children."
But Chief Moore said SROs do double duty as both social workers and law enforcement liaisons, and police along with social workers work as a team, "to do what's best for each student."
The first day of school in Harford County is Sept. 6.
School officials said they'll be meeting their law enforcement partners three or four times throughout the school year to see if their plans are working.
