CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - Clayton County Public Schools has announced that it will begin random searches as part of its safety protocols in an attempt to safeguard the school environment from disruptive behaviors.
"Recent events throughout Metro Atlanta have caused our district leadership to re-focus on the need for our students to be responsible for their behavior," Superintendent Dr. Anthony W. Smith said in a press release. "It is also important that we remind our families and our communities that they play an essential role in supporting our efforts to keep our campuses FREE ZONES – weapons-free, violence-free, drug-free, bully-free and gang-free. These Five Behaviors Norms are non-negotiables for our school system."
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According to the press release, the CCPS Division of Safety and Security has partnered with various law enforcement organizations throughout Clayton County. The random searches will start this week at various CCPS locations. Searches may include K-9 dogs at the middle and high school levels.
Four students were shot on Feb. 15 in the parking lot at Benjamin E. Mays High School in southwest Atlanta.
A 15-year-old was killed after a basketball game at Tri-Cities High School in East Point on Feb. 9.
Two people were shot in the parking lot of McEachern High School in Powder Springs on Feb. 1.