- Additional patrols were in place for the big rivalry game between Thomasville and Thomas County Central.
- The added security follows an incident where a student brought a handgun to school, prompting precautionary measures.
- Both the City and County School Districts are working with law enforcement to ensure safety at school events and campuses.
BROADCAST SCRIPT
It’s game night here at Veterans Memorial Stadium, but heightened security is in place following Thursday’s incident at MacIntyre Park Middle School. I’m Layan Abu Tarboush, and I’m looking into how these added precautions are shaping tonight’s big game.
Football is top of mind for most for tonight's game between Thomasville and Thomas County Central. For others, it’s safety. The Thomasville Police Department is increasing their patrols at Veterans Memorial Stadium. There’s no active threat, but it’s out of an abundance of caution.
"If you are going to have more people present, you will want to have the safety and security in place," said Demetria Williams, a former MacIntyre Park student who will be attending the game.
This move stems from a 14-year-old student bringing a gun to the MacIntyre Park Middle School campus on Thursday.
The district released a statement saying, "Though there was no current threat, these added patrols come in direct response to Thursday's incident."
As a mother of three, Demetria Williams emphasized, "When you send them to school, we want to know that they are in a safe environment."
The school district has increased security on all campuses and at campus events based on community concerns. Among their safety measures are special badges that empower teachers and staff to request immediate help anywhere on campus with the push of a button. This technology was also used during a shooting incident in Winder to alert law enforcement.
The school is also equipped with school resource officers on every campus, with two stationed at Thomas County Central High School.
The Thomasville Police Department says they are still investigating the reason the student had a gun on campus.
