Erik Johnson presenting to a group of people in a classroom setting

District 22 school administrators, resource officers, and local law enforcement met with District Attorney, Erik Johnson today at Pontotoc Technology Center in Ada. The School Safety Forum included representatives from Pontotoc, Hughes, and Seminole counties. Chris Perteet, an Agent on the District Attorney’s Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, walked through the failed response in Uvalde, Texas and what law enforcement can learn from it. Terrance Bush, Lighthouse Assistant Chief and Tactical Team Commander highlighted the security weaknesses and what went right with the school and law enforcement response during the recent event in Nashville, Tennessee. 

The purpose of this event is to bring education and law enforcement together for relationship building and conversation. “We are coming together, reviewing what happened in other communities, talking about the plans and preparations being put into place now so that our response is as effective as possible if something like this happens here,” said District Attorney Johnson. “We’re ensuring those in education have well-established and strong relationships with law enforcement to keep the lines of communication open and productive.”

After the main presentation, the group split and participated in breakout sessions. The first session focused on where the district is currently on school safety. The second session encouraged discussion around plans being made for the immediate future regarding school safety.