Parents Call for Continued Police Presence at Schools

By: Kim Eiten - Email

Updated: Tue 4:33 AM, Dec 18, 2012

Grieving parents in Newtown begin to say goodbye as Nebraska students return to school for the first time.

It comes in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which shattered parents' sense of safety for their students.

Now, it has some calling for long term security changes.

It's a sight that can strike fear, or provide comfort: a cop car outside a school.

Monday, it was the latter.

In fact, it's something many parents want to see every time they pick up or drop off their student.

The picture of a police cruiser outside a Lincoln school sparked nearly 1,500 likes on Monday.

The dozens of comments beneath it read largely the same: messages thanking LPD, asking them to keep up the good work.

But, that can't happen and it all boils down to the bottom line.

"Primarily because of budget cuts, we've throttled back," Public Safety Director Tom Casady said. "We no longer have school resource officers in elementary schools and middle schools."

While parents call for peace of mind in the form of a present badge, the question stands. Can it really stop killings in classrooms?

Lincoln's superintendent told 10/11 News that any security measure can only go so far.

"Sadly, if someone really wants to get into a public school, or any public place for that matter, it's going to be very, very difficult for us to do," LPS Superintendent Steve Joel said.

"If someone's bent on committing an act of this magnitude of evil, there's little that can be done to stop them," Casady said.

Parents and the public say try anyway by putting a uniform in the hallways.

It's the nation and city on edge, sending a message to LPD to not let down their guard.

Casady said better advancing security may not be more uniforms in classrooms, but getting inside the mind of the shooter.

He said threat assessment is key.