As state officials consider new security measures in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Fall River's mayor has taken the matter into his own hands.
Mayor Will Flanagan knew he had to do something when parents in his city were telling him they hadn’t taken their children to school since last Friday’s shooting. In response, the mayor dispatched police officers to all public schools in the district.
"I don’t want our parents to go through that and I don’t want them to have that level of anxiety or fear. Therefore I have positioned police officers at all our public schools, and they will be there until further notice and the principals are to use them in any way they see fit to ensure the safety of our children," Flanagan said.
The mayor did not specify how many officers will be at each school, but he said this move would not affect the number of police patrolling Fall River.
"The officers at the school will be additional officers coming in on their day off, or officers who are working an overtime shift. There is an additional price tag with this but I truly believe that the benefits of having a police officers at our public schools greatly outweighs the cost associated with it." Flanagan said.
Some school administrators in Fall River have said they want more details about the responsibilities of these officers, but Mayor Flanagan said the response from parents has been overwhelmingly positive, and ensuring the safety of students and alleviating the concerns of their parents are his priority.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.
