Local sheriff’s office starts new school safety program

meredithMachen By Meredith Machen
POSTED: 5:12 PM Dec 17 2012   UPDATED: 2:26 PM Dec 17 2012
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Tenn. -

A local school system is starting a new safety plan to prevent school violence following Friday's school massacre.

Washington County, Virginia sheriff Fred Newman told News 5 starting today, they will have every officer on duty visit a school at least once every day that school is in session.      

This includes sheriff's deputies, investigators, warrant officers, even animal control officers.

We learned these officers will take about a 10 minute unannounced visit inside the school.

"The unannounced presence of law enforcement, we feel like, would be somewhat of a deterrent, and if in fact something does happen, that either law enforcement would be present or at least nearby," said Sheriff Newman.

Sheriff Newman says this 'Once-a-Day, Every Day' program will be in addition to regular visits by school resource officers and D.A.R.E. deputies.

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