West Irondequoit schools increase police presence

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. (WHEC) — West Irondequoit schools are bringing in more police help to keep students safe.

On Friday the school system and the town drew up a new agreement to place police at schools to enhance security.

“If that’s what it needs to do to keep my kids safe, then that’s what I love to see,” declared Dominica Priest, who has three kids in West Irondequoit schools. She says with all the news of bloody mass shootings in Texas, and in Buffalo as well as of potential trouble closer to home, she’s perfectly happy to see more police around.

“You know, it’s sad that it has to be this way but I think that it’s beneficial. Because, honestly, I think if somebody sees someone that’s possibly armed, before walking tour that direction, they are definitely going to think twice.“

Under a new agreement between West Irondequoit schools and the town of Irondequoit, police will be cranking up their presence.

Specifically between two and four in the afternoon, when school lets out, and when there has been rising concern about incidents there, “incidents that happened throughout the school year that have started to, kind of, come to a head Towards the end of the school year, especially at dismissal time,” explained Irondequoit Police Chief Alan Laird.

For the rest of the school year, an extra police car will be stationed at the shared campus of Irondequoit high school and junior high. And given current events, police Chief Alan Laird says his department can’t help thinking about episodes like the Texas school shooting.

“We pay attention to those things,” he said. “And our primary concern is the safety of the students when they’re in schools.”

Dominica Priest says she’s hoping to see a strong message to anyone considering violence at school. “They need to think twice because this is ridiculous,” she exclaimed. “It needs to end. It’s not fair. It’s not OK. It’s not right.”