Seattle students return to heightened security at start of new school year

SEATTLE — Nearly 50,000 Seattle public school students head back to class this week - and they are seeing heightened security.

But how safe do students really feel?

That question still lingers, especially at Garfield High School. There were two shootings there last school year, one of them was deadly.

A couple of students said they feel safe, at least today. And that was the caveat. They weren’t worried so much about today.

They say they worry about what happens if a Seattle police officer can no longer spend an entire school day here.

They are Garfield High School seniors now. But safety is still on the minds of Eric Ma and Richie Ngo on this first day of their last year of high school.

“Yes, I felt pretty safe because when I arrived at school, I seen a lot of police presence around the school,” said Richie. “I felt a lot of security around the school. There’s definitely more people outside the school which definitely made me feel safer.”

Eric was asked if he was worried about coming to school. “First day of school, not as much,” he said. “But I feel like maybe in the further weeks, I don’t think we could really have a police car here every single day. So, I feel like maybe in the future, it night not be as safe.”

Seattle’s School superintendent insists their safety plan surveillance cameras, violence interrupters and a greater police presence, all of it designed to help students focus less on safety and more on learning.

“So, you’re going to see much more of a presence both from a from a mental health perspective and a physical health perspective in our schools,” said Dr. Brent Jones.

But with the deadly shooting here last June and the protest marches that followed more may be needed to ease their fears.

“There’s been a lot of walks and protests about gun violence and stuff,” said Richie. “But it never seems to really do anything. Like it never really seems to get to a level where some action is actually taken and stops what’s happening.”

They were parents picking up their kids. So, there’s no doubt everyone is concerned. And no doubt grateful for every day that ends safely like today did here.

©2024 Cox Media Group