The Miami-Dade County Public Schools police department wants to reassure parents and students that schools are safe and secure following a student stabbing at Miami Killian High School earlier this week.
Chief Ian Moffett said the department has a multi-layer approach in place to accomplish this.
"There are rights here. We want the kids to come in and learn in a safe learning environment," Moffett said.
One of their initiatives is a random metal detector program. According to Moffett, it is more effective than placing stationary detectors, however, he did not specify the frequency of the random checks.
"I don't want these schools to look like a prison because that is not conducive to a learning environment," he said.
Surveillance cameras have also been placed throughout county schools with the purpose of deterring crime and helping investigators. More than 100 police officers belong to the school department and are trained in crisis intervention.
It's something the Chief believes certainly made a difference on Tuesday at Killian High.
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"Based on their training and expertise, they were able to stop the subject, secure the subject so this could not go any further," Moffett said.
An anti-bullying program, anonymous tip lines, and counselors at the schools also make up the mental health component of their safety approach.
"The information that these kids give our officers, we're able to stop things from occurring," Moffett said.
