School safety top of mind as students return to SoCal classrooms

As students return to the classroom in the Las Virgenes School District, concerns over safety have been top of mind following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May. 

When the senior class at Calabasas High marched onto campus Wednesday, they were dealing with something new, showing identification before being allowed on campus. 

"I think safety is number one. I think everything that's happened in our country," parent Stacey Kolinsky told CBSLA. 

Along with the new protocols, students are also seeing some new faces. 

Sergeant William Velek, with the Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, is the newly appointed safety liaison between the sheriff's station and the Las Virgenes Unified School District and nearby Malibu schools. 

Velek has implemented the same active-shooter lockdown plan for all of the campuses. 

"The deputies will know what to expect when they show. It makes the learning curve a lot easier on both sides when we're all doing the same thing, using the same terminologies and such," the Sgt. told CBSLA. 

RELATED: Texas Lawmakers say failures in Uvalde response were "systemic"

While law enforcement agencies around the country have been dealing with limited resources, Lost Hills Sheriff's Station Captain Jennifer Seetoo has given Sergeant Velek the authority to assign deputies to help with traffic during the school's morning drop off period. The captain also said her station will make adjustments when there are other needs as well. 

"We can pull from our community relations," Seetoo said. "We can pull from our traffic. We can pull from patrol or detectives within our station." 

In addition to the presence of law enforcement, LVUSD's superintendent said that more than 200 camera have been added in the past 18 months, and that district-wide, there are 400 cameras. 

The district has also made counselors who specialize in dealing with mental health available during and after school hours. 

According to Cpt. Seetoo, research shows suspects tend display signs of violence before they act, and that her goal is to build trust, so that parents and students will speak up before things ever go too far. 

"They can report to the schools. This school has a 'we tip.' The students know how to send it anonymously. They can always approach a deputy, whether it's at the station, calling the station or here on campus," she said.