Camden sets initial plan for police officers outside schools after Texas shootings

As district, police leaders decide on a long-term plan, they set a temporary plan in motion

CAMDEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — As school districts all over the United States consider their security protocols in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas school shootings, officials in Camden said law enforcement officers will be patrolling outside of every public school in their city for the foreseeable future.

There was no initial, fully functional plan yet in place Thursday as Camden Police and school officials continued to evaluate each school building to identify potential vulnerabilities.

However, Camden city officials want parents to know they have been working to make their schools more secure, and they are preparing to set a temporary plan in motion.

“As we continue to look at our schedules and things fluctuate and change, we adjust and modify with the number one priority,” said Camden City School District Superintendent Katrina McCombs, “maintaining and ensuring that we have safety in place.”

“If there are any concerns, I can pick up the phone and call the mayor, the chief, the sheriff, the board president,” she added.

“We’re constantly communicating, and it takes that constant, intentional, daily communication to make sure we are warding off these attempts. But we know that there’s a much bigger problem in our nation that we’re facing when it comes to gun violence.”

Camden County Police Chief Gabriel Rodriguez said that for now, two to three officers will be assigned to each school with a constant presence, though all officers may not be at the school at the same time.

Staffing these schools is an issue since police have to protect other parts of the city as well. Officers from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office will be helping stand guard at schools.

The plan is a bit of a work in progress, as they move toward a more comprehensive plan for the fall.

“We’re having those conversations now. They’re ongoing,” said Rodriguez. “We’ll make sure we have a consistent presence at schools during the summer as well.”

McCombs said that as long as kids are at school buildings for any reason, police will be outside to protect them.

The following is a letter McCombs shared with Camden student families Wednesday, one day after the Uvalde shootings.

Dear Camden City School District & Colleagues,

We wake up to the horrible news of another horrific elementary school shooting that occurred yesterday in Uvalde, Texas. My heart hurts thinking about the tragic loss of lives and the impact on the Uvalde community and those directly impacted. As both Superintendent and mother of two, it would be remiss if I did not share how important the safety and well-being of this district and our young people means to me. While I understand how scary and uncomfortable this tragedy is, I want to provide some type of reassurance on how we will respond as a district today.

Please note:

1) One of our district priorities is to provide our staff and students with a safe environment. We have emergency plans and protocols in place that were developed in coordination with the Camden City Police Department (CCPD) and the Camden City Fire Department (CCFD). Additionally, we have regular drills throughout the year as refreshers to both staff and students.

2) Late last night, Governor Murphy announced that the New Jersey Office of Attorney General has directed law enforcement to increase their presence at schools throughout New Jersey, effective immediately. We will do everything in our power to ensure students, parents, and educators feel safe at school. We have coordinated with the CCPD to have enhanced police presence on our school campuses today as a measure of reassurance in the wake of this newest school shooting.

3) We anticipate our older students, and maybe some younger ones to know about yesterdays shooting and maybe even have questions today.

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As a district whose mission is “Putting Students First”, we will be prepared to respond as follows:

● Teachers in grades Pre-K through Grade 4 will not bring the topic up, but they will be prepared to address students' questions or comments if and when the topic is raised. Their response to students who ask about it will be to acknowledge what happened without going into detail, reassure students that they are safe at school, and maintain the normalcy and routine of the
school day.

● Because we are socially connected by technology, and cannot avoid the realities of this world, the topic will be addressed by principals with our brief statements and moments of silence as part of their school announcements.

● At all levels, educators will monitor students, and be aware of their social, emotional and physical state, to ensure they are in tune with those who are having difficulty with processing the news out of Texas. Leaders will refer students to school counselors or to SBYS staff as appropriate. If families feel their child is struggling in processing the news of this tragedy, please reach out to your school principal or family operations coordinator.

Given the access to technology, we expect that many of them already know about this tragedy.

As a parent and educator, my advice would be to have a talk with your child to ensure they are feeling safe.

Thank you in advance to all of our families and staff for providing a safe space in supporting our children.

Students First,
Katrina T. McCombs, M.A.Ed., MPA
State District Superintendent
Camden City School District

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