Coventry holds school security forum

COVENTRY, R.I. (WPRI) – Since the tragedy in Newtown Connecticut schools across the nation have been taking steps to improve their safety.

On Wednesday night leaders in Coventry laid out their action plan to keep students safe in the classroom.

Dozens of people attended the forum at the high school to hear about the school districts recent security assessments and updated safety plans.

Officials tell Eyewitness news that the school district is implementing an action plan that includes:
• New identification badges for employees and visitors,
• Construction of secured vestibules at front offices,
• Interior door locks on all doors,
• And additional panic buttons throughout all schools.

“What were trying to achieve by these panic buttons is an early warning system that gets us on scene as fast as possible because we feel as soon as we get there we can minimize the amount of damage and the amount of victims, “ said Coventry Police Chief Bryan Volpe.

Cheryl Demarco and Michele Bergantinoboth both have kids in elementary school in Coventry and they say that their children’s safety is the most important thing and these added changes put them in a better place than they were.

The new safety plans do not come cheap. The superintendent tells Eyewitness News that they’ll cost about $200,000.

He hopes that many of the changes will be in place by the end of February.