With the war now in full swing many area parents are wondering, “Just how safe are our kids in school?” The answer for the most part is that they are as safe as they can be under the circumstances that affect our world today.
What are the area police and schools doing to keep our kids safe? Plenty. Between 1997 and 1998 Sheriff Bruce Montgomery started a new program in Sevier County called SRO, which stands for School Resource Officer. When the program first started a resource officer was placed in each of the Sevier County High Schools as well as Pigeon Forge Middle School. Since its inception, resource officers have been added to many area schools. Today a resource officer is in Seymour High School (Officer Roy Lowe), Seymour Middle School (Officer Richard Feder) and Seymour Intermediate School (Officer George Percelly). Percelly’s last day at the school was Friday, March 21st. He will be replaced shortly. Percelly said he was going to really miss working with the kids but has left to do international work for Tennessee Productions. In addition to the three schools having constant coverage, an officer visits the Seymour Primary School.
In Sevier County today, there are 18 SRO’s in area schools. The schools also have five D.A.R.E. officers in Sevier County. Chief Garner with the Blount County Sheriff’s Department says SRO covers their schools as well. “We have talked to all the officers about being more vigilant and keeping their eyes open. We have also added extra patrols. Blount County has resource officers in all of their 19 schools.”
“We have solved a lot of crimes before they were ever reported just from the kids knowing the resource officers and talking to them. It’s been a very successful program,” stated Garner.
The role of the SRO is not a disciplinarian; the officers take a proactive role in school safety. They help to develop and implement plans pertaining to security. Other duties include assisting the principles in developing plans and policies relating to safety concerns, and serving as guest speakers in classrooms to discuss law, driver’s education, the court system, career opportunities in law enforcement, drug prevention education and conflict resolution.
Along with the officers, schools are outfitted with security equipment, cameras, monitors, and communications equipment which is provided in part based on the “Safe Schools Act of 1998.” The funding for the items is provided by the State of Tennessee with a portion coming from other sources. Officers are also required to attend a 40-hour class at Walter State Community College.
The Sevier County Sheriff’s Department has applied for a grant to give every school a full-time resource officer. The Federal Government through the “C.O.P.S. Grant” pays up to 75% of the cost of an SRO for three years. Sheriff Montgomery stated that federal grants have helped the department in many aspects. “We have hired 17-18 different people based on federal grants we have received. It’s been a blessing to us. The grants give us three years before we have to pick up the whole salary of the employee.”
Safety is a concern around the area. In Knoxville Darrell DeBusk says they are working in close contact with FBI and Chief Keith is on the council for homeland security so they are also in contact with Washington D.C. on an ongoing basis. DeBusk says they have worked with the schools on emergency procedures since 911 and there is no known intent or threats made against area schools. “When things are going on your first thought is the children,” says DeBusk. “We do passive surveillance meaning we have increased patrols but you wouldn’t notice that the surveillance has increased. We have enlarged it with schools and other potential target areas such as bridges and dams. I would like to say that we don’t have any information on any local areas being active targets.”
Greg Clark from Seymour Intermediate stated, “We are always on alert. It’s just part of what we do everyday. The side doors stay locked and we are fortunate that the school is fenced and it is not easy to just walk in and out of. We pretty much know everyone who is coming in and out of the school at all times. It’s great security just having the car of the resource officer parked out front. It’s good to have the visibility of the police being outside your building. I think that is a deterrent in itself.”
Sheriff Montgomery stated that Sevier County patrols have also been stepped up and they are checking water systems and dams around the area.
The resource officers for the most part are assigned by Sevier County Sheriff’s Department by Ron Seals or Sheriff Montgomery, but some of the schools including ones in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are furnished by the city.
Mike Hilton, who heads up security for the school district stated, “Even if there were across-the-board budget cuts, the SRO program wouldn’t even be on the table. It’s that valuable to the schools.”
In addition to SRO officers every school in the county gets a D.A.R.E. officer but they rotate from school to school. “At any one time there could be two patrol cars in front of a school with no police emergency there. The schools are covered well. As well as can be expected. In Seymour you have at least two officers at all times in the four schools plus the dare officer is in and out,” said Montgomery.

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