Local law enforcement prepare for back-to-school safety
PARIS, Tenn. — It’s more than parents and students prepping to go back to school; local officers are also gearing up. On Tuesday, shots were fired a Paris Elementary School as Henry County deputies, Paris Police officers, and other West Tennessee officers trained for an active shooter. “We’ve done this before, but with school started back we wanted a refresher,” Captain Damon Lowe of the Henry County Sheriff’s Office said. They used real guns, in real life scenarios where they took down fellow officers pretending to be school intruders. Some parents said while this type of training is necessary and a step in the right direction, more needs to be done. “They need to better check all students,” James Lee, a parent said. “And make them all wear uniforms where they can’t hide anything in their clothes.” Officials said outside intruders aren’t the only ones they’re preparing to handle. “We know sometimes there are mishaps and students may bring weapons to school,” Captain Lowe said. With the first day of school around the corner for West Tennessee students, officials said they now feel more prepared than ever to keep them safe.
