Clayton County Schools introduces new ‘Village on Patrol’ safety volunteer initiative
Parents and school law enforcement are teaming up for a new volunteer initiative for all 66 schools in the Clayton County area.
Village on Patrol is a volunteer-based program asking adults to help with safety issues. The program was created in response to community feedback on local safety and involvement.
Shakira Brown Rice is the director of community and employee engagement with Clayton County Schools. She says the unarmed volunteers are another way to assist school officers.
“This a just a layer of proactive measures that we have in place,” she said.
The program has given parents like Camille Stokes some sense of relief. Stokes has two kids going to school in the county.
“I have a lot of faith in the county … I really have no concerns,” she said.
Participants must be 21 or older. They are required to submit a notarized application and pass a level three background check. Once approved, they then attend training courses taught by the schools and their officers.
Volunteers will prepare for duties like monitoring and overseeing during school hours and events as an “extra set of eyes and ears” for the schools. They also report more serious issues like abuse to school officials and principals.
Clayton County Schools plans to have at least five volunteers at each school and is actively recruiting now.
Top Stories
