Amherst Schools Among Safest, Says Police Chief

The Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy has everybody shaken and concerned about the safety of students at school.

The Newtown shooting took the lives of 26 educators and young students in one violent and terrible act. Many are asking why it happened, but many more are asking how we can prevent this from ever happening again.

Amherst Police Chief Mark Reams assures residents that their schools are the safest place for children, and Amherst is among the safest.

“The Amherst Police Department and SAU have spent years developing a partnership which helped address the panic that we experienced in the wake of the school violence in the late 1990’s,” said Reams in an email on Monday.

Reams said that bullying has “drastically improved,” school safety procedures have been revised, and video surveillance has been implemented where possible.

Souhegan High School installed three security cameras in their parking lots last year, and added more lighting to the outside. A new locking system was also added to the exterior doors of the high school.

The School Resource Officers placed at Souhegan and Amherst Middle School for ten years have gone a long way to connect law enforcement to the school community, according to Reams. Even though there is no officer at Clark/Wilkins Elementary, middle school SRO Mike Knox makes an effort to become involved with the young students.

SRO’s will be maintaining a strong presence at the schools as reassurance in the wake of the recent shooting. Reams said that his officers will continue to make their presence known around town.

“I think that anyone who drives through Amherst will attest to the fact that our officers maintain a level of visibility in our town that is rarely equaled elsewhere.”

SAU #39 superintendent Peter Warburton said in a letter that parents need to reassure their children that they are safe in his schools.

“With high-profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, children can become confused and frightened and may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and by talking with them about their fears.”