WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - With the start of a new school year, Wakulla County Public Schools made some changes in order to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Each school resource officer will be carrying a backpack equipped with a short barrel AR-15, a rifle plate that can stop up to a .308 caliber bullet, a rescue kit, as well as extra ammo for the rifle.
This will allow the SRO's to act quickly in case of an emergency.
Wakulla County Superintendent Robert Pearce, says this equipment not only adds a safety factor for children and faculty, but for the officer as well.
"They've got that assault rifle close and if you look at the situations that have occurred with school shootings, typically our law enforcement personnel are mainly reliant on a hand gun and they're limited to the amount of ammo they can carry," said Pearce. "This backpack is a game-changer in that regard."
These kits, along with extra ammo and a rifle plate, can help an SRO stop a threat and save lives.
Each school in Wakulla County has one SRO and two are at the high school.
