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Marietta Schools to beef up stadium security
Marietta City Schools had its board vote in favor of firming up security at its stadiums, primarily Northcutt Stadium. The move was not in connection to any threat, but rather a growing concern over large crowds at school functions.
MARIETTA, Ga. - Nearly $177,000 of state grant money will go towards a new security measure for Marietta City Schools.
The district approved the spending unanimously Tuesday night at its board meeting.
An official with the district tells FOX 5 that weapons detection systems are in the budget with hopes of helping everyone stay safe at large events.
"It's about six units. So, we're going to have four that we keep at Northcutt Stadium, and then we'll have two that we keep at the high school for other large track and field events, because we have a secondary stadium at that location," said Chuck Gardner, Chief Operations Officer for Marietta City Schools.
Gardner says the district collaborates with the Marietta Police regarding safety measures. They believe these devices will help them see what may not be outwardly visible. He also says the devices themselves aren't very noticeable.
"You barely know they're there. They're just telling you whether or not somebody's got maybe a large weapon. It could be a knife or gun on them."
The goal is to get ahead of any possible threats.
"It wasn't any specific event, but obviously, around the country you can see there's a lot of events, tragic events that have happened at large gatherings of people," said Gardner. "So, anything we can do to be proactive and keep everybody safe."
Marietta City Schools is not the only district to increase safety measures in recent months.
In August, security measures, including a clear bag policy, were put in place or increased at Discovery High School's stadium in Gwinnett County. This came after a group of students rushed towards an exit during a game. The incident caused panic.
Also in August, in Clayton County, a student was reportedly shot in the parking lot of Tara Stadium after a football game. The district said it would continue to use weapons detection devices, and even move up game start times.
Gardner tells FOX 5 they will likely receive the devices in Marietta some time in the spring.