OC Sheriff’s Office offering Safety Tips ahead of Another School Year

The 2018-19 school year is set to begin on Monday, Aug. 20, and with that in mind, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is offering some safety tips to help teachers, students, administrators and parents have a safe and enjoyable year. “The Sheriff’s Office continues to be committed to making all schools in Oconee County safer,” says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “Leaders in Oconee County have had much discussion about the safety of schools in the County over the last several months and it is a very exciting time for the Sheriff’s Office and all law enforcement in Oconee County as we plan to have School Resource Officers in all schools within the School District of Oconee County which includes the Hamilton Career Center and Oconee Academy Alternative School, at some point during this school year. I am grateful to Dr. Thorsland and the School Board along with Oconee County Council and our current and former County Administrator’s for working with us to make this possible. The SRO’s will not just be responsible for providing safety but they will also be building relationships with those students that we hope lasts a lifetime.” The Sheriff’s Office announces that eight of the nine School Resource Officer positions have been filled. The following deputies: Jordei Jameson, John Towery, Calley Moore, Robert Sparkman, Kyle Edwards, Adam Poore, Roy McKenzie and Angel Jennings, will join current SRO’s Charles Mulwee, Mike Thompson, Ryan Overton, Jesus Soto, Derek Pace, Adam Logan, Keith Brooks and Chris Roach. The Walhalla Police Department will continue to have Officer Robert Bennett as the SRO at Walhalla Middle School. The last remaining position will be filled within the coming weeks. According to Sheriff Crenshaw “We will be filling that position soon. What I can report to our citizens is that four of the eight SRO’s will begin work in their schools when school starts next Monday with the others to follow as our new deputies get trained to take their positions as Uniform Patrol Officers. For safety concerns, we will not be announcing which deputies and officers will be assigned to which schools, however, those schools that do not have SRO’s currently will be provided adequate security until such time as those SRO’s are ready to be assigned to those schools.” As all citizens of Oconee County look ahead to Monday, the Sheriff’s Office is providing these safety tips for the state of school year. Motorists traveling on a two lane road in both directions, regardless of the way the motorists is traveling, are required by law to come to a complete stop if a school bus has deployed its stop sign and its flashing red/amber lights as it either picks up or drops off students. On a roadway with four or more lanes, you are required to stop for a stopped school bus if you traveling in the same direction as the school bus, however, you are not required to stop by law if you are traveling in the opposite direction approaching the stopped school bus. There are fines and points assessed on your license if you violate the law regarding a stopped school bus. An area roughly ten feet around a stopped school is the greatest potential area for a student to be struck by a vehicle. You are asked to observe the flashing speed limit signs that are posted in the school zones. Please bear in mind that those speed limits will vary depending on the time of the day so follow the posted speed limits. If you are caught speeding during these times in a school zone, you will be ticketed. Please watch for students, crossing guards, officers directing traffic and individuals picking up and dropping off students during these times and always obey directions from a school crossing guard and/or a law enforcement officers. As always, avoid distractions, such as eating and using cellular devices, especially in the school zones. Also, watch out for students in residential areas, including around intersections and bus stops areas. Remember, look out for students because they may not be looking out for you, especially in their neighborhoods since they are familiar with these areas. Especially for the first few weeks after school begins, please allow for extra time when picking up and dropping off students as all motorists will need time to get acquainted with the traffic patterns in the school zones. Also, since it has been a few months since the end of the previous school year, take time to watch out for students at the bus stops. Remember to look out for them because they may not be looking out for you. School bullying continues to be a concern for everyone that is involved in the educational system and with that in mind; the Sheriff’s Office is offering these tips for parents to help them determine if their child is being bullied. Look for possible evidence of torn or damaged clothes, books or other items. Look for signs of stress, such as complaints of head or stomach aches or complaints of sickness. Bear in mind that these symptoms may not exist. Your child may not want to go to school all together. Look for signs of a lack of interest in activities, such as doing homework or participating in athletics or avoiding interaction with friends or other social activities. You may also see a loss of appetite or trouble sleeping or your child suffering from nightmares. Look for signs for your child feeling helpless or a loss of self-esteem or your child feeling sad all the time. There is always the possibility of your child being a bully themselves as a consequence of what they are dealing with. “We are thrilled that the Sheriff’s Office will be able to staff every Oconee school with a highly-trained SRO for the 2018-19 school year,” says Dr. Michael Thorsland, Superintendent of Education for the School District of Oconee County. “This will greatly enhance security at our schools. I am thankful that the county council and school board made school safety such a high priority in their budgets.” “Along with Sheriff Crenshaw, I encourage all drivers to be very cautious on the roads during the first few days of school” continues Dr. Thorsland. “It often takes a week or so for driving patterns around schools to get settled. Being extra careful when driving in school zones is another way to enhance school safety and we appreciate the support of all citizens in this effort.”