Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Wake County Sheriff Encourages Creation Of School Police Force

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools police patch
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Wake County’s sheriff, Donnie Harrison, is urging the School Board to create its own police force.  Harrison made the comments as part of a report to the Wake School Board on school security.

He says school security issues are more important now, six months after the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut.

“Like I say, it’s the way the times have changed, we didn’t see the need, now we see the need," Harrison said. "There’s a lot of things we have in place that is good, we just need to improve on.”

One of the improvements Harrison offered is to put all school security personnel under one umbrella. Wake County Schools currently have 64 school resource officers from nine difference law enforcement agencies.

The second-largest school district in the state – Charlotte-Mecklenburg – has had its own police force since the 1970s.

Dave DeWitt is WUNC's Supervising Editor for Politics and Education. As an editor, reporter, and producer he's covered politics, environment, education, sports, and a wide range of other topics.
Related Stories
More Stories