Police officers tour school, become familiar with grounds

By Mira Dwyer

Two groups of about 15 police officers toured Whitman’s campus during seventh and eighth period March 20.  

Dana Shoup, the school resource officer, reached out to principal Alan Goodwin to set up a time to visit Whitman with her team. She wanted to ensure that in the case of an emergency, her team would be able to effectively back her up and keep students safe.

School shootings nationwide prompted the visit.

“The school resource officer and I were of course prompted by all the national news and tragedies and wanted our police officers to be as informed about us as possible,” Goodwin said.

Announcements were made over the loudspeaker and emails were sent out over Whitnet during the officers’ visit to inform students and parents about the tour.

Students are glad precautionary measures are being taken to ensure their safety.

“I think in situations like the ones we’ve seen, we have to be prepared, and a lot of that comes with knowing the area and being able to identify where a shooter is quickly,” junior Mariana Fajnzylber said. “I think it’s really great that they are preparing themselves just in case.”