School security plan crafted by School Board, Sheriff’s Office

School security is the focus of an initiative jointly announced by St. Bernard Parish Sheriff James Pohlmann and School Superintendent Doris Voitier on behalf of the St. Bernard Parish School Board.

School officials and the Sheriff’s Office have crafted a plan that will place a full-time Resource Officer inside Chalmette High School on a permanent basis and expand the presence of “drug dogs” in the middle and high schools.

Sheriff Pohlmann also announced the return of recently retired Sheriff’s Maj. Darlene Poche, the former commander of the Juvenile Division, into service as a liaison between the Sheriff’s Office and the school district. Poche’s role strengthens communication between the two groups, both Pohlmann and Voitier said.

The two agencies additionally agreed to step up residency checks to ensure that only St. Bernard residents are attending public schools.

“I think we have the making of a new and exciting service to our residents and children in the parish with this new school security plan,” said Pohlmann.

The sheriff emphasized the plan builds on initiatives already in place through an ongoing cooperative agreement between law enforcement and the schools.

Superintendent Voitier pointed out that resource officers have been in place at Rowley Alternative School for some time. She also said that “drug dogs” returned to duty in parish middle schools last spring for the first time since Hurricane Katrina and will be used again.

“We welcome into discussions regarding school security the expertise of our Sheriff’s Office, which continues to make our parish the metro area’s safest,” said Voitier. As an example of past cooperation, Voitier pointed to ongoing practice exercises of the Swat Team inside parish schools to familiarize officers with school layouts in a proactive preparation in case of school intruder events.

The two parish leaders assured St. Bernard residents that school safety is a priority for their two entities and direct discussions will be ongoing.

“Our public schools are safe places for children and have always been that way,” said Pohlmann. “We are fortunate that weapons have never made their way into our schools, and it is our joint responsibility and strong determination to keep it that way.”

Voitier added that a mission of the school district is to provide safe, secure places for teaching and learning. “We consider this initiative a step toward accomplishing that mission,” she said.

Resource officers traditionally serve in schools not only in an effort to provide security but also as a way to improve communication and relationships between the Sheriff’s Office and parish teenagers.