HOLLYWOOD, Md. – The St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office will be increasing their presence in county public schools following the students return from Spring break and the tragic shooting at Great Mills High School. Jamie Jameson, principal of Evergreen Elementary School, sent this letter to parents regarding the increased police presence:
St. Mary’s County Public Schools has coordinated increased law enforcement patrols with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office (SMCSO). The purpose of the patrols is to provide for a high level of law enforcement visibility and increased security at all SMCPS campuses. The officers assigned have been tasked with patrolling school parking lots and conducting both interior and exterior security checks. This could also include officers walking the perimeter and interior of our school buildings. These additional patrols will supplement the work of our School Resource Officer program and our Adopt-A-School Program.
I will be sharing information with students through our morning announcements later this week. My basic points will be that we are fortunate to have officers who are able to help monitor our school, and that seeing an officer does not necessarily mean that anything is wrong. Students will be encouraged to treat any officer with the same respect that is shown to other adult visitors and make him/her feel welcome in our building.
Please continue to promote the message, “If you see something, say something”. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Respectfully,
Jamie Jameson, Principal
For more information on St. Mary’s County Schools, support for returning students, and the “See Something, Say Something” policy, visit http://www.smcps.org/.