Small Business Solutions

A Triad sheriff is reflecting on school safety following a deadly shooting at a Georgia high school on Wednesday. Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking hereRockingham County Sheriff Sam Page says he was horrified by the shooting in Barrow County in which a 14-year-old student opened fire on his classmates and teachers. Now, he is taking a closer look at school safety in his county. He says it takes everyones involvement to prevent school shootings. In this day and time in America, we cannot be complacent because there are threats and risks all around us, and we know, we hear it every day, we see it on the news, Page said. But we can do some things starting on the local level to make our communities safer, and it starts with all of us.Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here.Page says he wants to see the root causes of school shootings addressed through relationship-building. As a former school resource officer, Page says SROs play a crucial role in school safety. He says fostering positive relationships between SROs and students can help prevent issues from escalating and stop students from heading down a bad path. When kids trust you, they tell you things, he said. Page says open communication between students and SROs can increase school safety.We as law enforcement need to continue to build those relationships with students because theyll know a long time before we do whats going on in that school, Page said. You can have all the security mechanisms in place, and thats great, thats different layers of security, but when the kids cooperate with you, and work with the teachers, and work with the school resource officers, youve got safe schools.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsHe says parents have an important role as well. He encourages parents to communicate and engage with their children and take practical safety steps. Secure your weapons at home, Page said. Make sure kids dont have access when youre not home and only under the supervision of an adult because in North Carolina, if you allow a child to have access and someone gets hurt or worse, you could be held liable.Page says one thing everyone can do is follow the phrase see something, say something. He says the first step in preventing an incident is for students, parents, teachers and administrators to report something they are concerned about to law enforcement. It works right here at the local level, if you see something, say something, he said. Because well before the FBI or anybody else gets involved, its going to be your local law enforcement, its going to be your SROs, its going to be your teachers and principals talking.Learn more about Rockingham Countys school safety measures by clicking here.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love | Trending Stories