LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Safety professionals from all across the nation, including FBI agents, police officers, mental health experts, DEA agents and more, discussed the best ways to make schools safer.
This is all part of the National Student Safety and Security Conference held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The conference is going on Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
School violence was at the top of everyone's mind at the conference, but those from Clark County were focused on how well CCSD measures up when it comes to safety.
According to the Nevada Report Card on the Clark County School District, they had 7,243 violent incidents in their schools last year, that's up from 7,158 violent incidents in the 2021-2022 school year.
This upward trend has only been seen over the last two years, though. The number of bullying incidents and violent incidents are both down compared to where it was before the pandemic.
Visit this website for a full list of safety statistics for CCSD.
Experts say training teachers should be the top priority to decrease the amount of violence on campuses.
“The number one way that we find out weapons, plots, kids who are going to cause harm to themselves or others, is when a kid comes forward and tells an adult they trust," said National School Safety and Security Services President Dr. Kenneth Trump.
CCSD says all teachers are required to watch safety training videos annually, and all schools go through 10 safety drills each year. Student safety is not just on the teachers.
“A good school resource officer program is actually not an enforcement — it’s a prevention program because of the relationships they bring with these kids, bridging law enforcement with the school, providing a presence on campus," Trump said.
CCSD has school resource officers on all high school campuses, and they just started staffing middle schools this year too.
The best tip, mental health professionals say, is to be present since people causing violence might not say anything but rather act differently.
“Those people might not be able to help themselves, but as a relationship builder, knowing your colleagues, knowing your friends, you can literally be the person who saves their lives," said special agent and school safety expert with the DEA, Dr. Sean Lawler.
Along with tips, companies also showcased metal detectors, special door locks created to prevent an act of violence, and even bulletproof glass.
“If someone was to come up with a bat, a rock, a handgun, even an AR, the glass would stay intact," said CEO and founder of American Defense Solutions David Fair.
The same conference will be back again next year, sharing the latest options and techniques for how to prevent more school violence.
