Bay Area schools fast-track school security plans

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Sheriff's offices and schools across the Bay Area are responding to the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas by beefing up security at elementary schools.

Plans were already in the work for many elementary schools to have school resource officers next year, but with only a few weeks left in this school year, officials aren't taking any chances.

Most middle and high schools already have school resource officers or deputies, but for the remainder of the school year, all schools will have them.

"I always want to be blamed for overdoing it, rather than underdoing it," said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

The move adds deputies to 111 elementary schools in Polk County and is being coupled with a ban on backpacks. 

Student's won't be allowed to carry anything larger than a purse starting Monday through the end of the school year.

"We are going to make sure we get through these last three and a half days of school," Judd said.

Sheriffs in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties joined Judd, upping security in their county's schools, as well.

Hillsborough is posting deputies at each school in unincorporated areas, while Tampa police say security will be increased at schools in the city.

"We digest that as if it happened to our children, personally," said Judd. "Because they are all our children."

This is all a dry-run for next year, as districts grapple with the cost of hiring and training new armed and uniformed guardians, which are now required by the state.

Polk County promises every school will have guardians next year.

"Today is the last afternoon in the Polk County School System that there won't be armed security on every public campus," said Judd.

The Polk sheriff says that they will not be sacrificing road patrols and many of these assignments will be taken from the detective bureaus.