Jefferson Co. Sheriff’s Office donates security measure to private school

WHITE PINE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Lakeway Christian Academy in White Pine has a new set of wheels: a retired Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office cruiser.

The school asked the sheriff’s office for another means to patrol campus in the spring, so the request went to the county commission before getting approved for the new school year.

“Having a marked, visible patrol unit is in itself a deterrent on campus,” School Resource Officer Armando Fontes said. “It lets people that are frequenting the area or coming by letting them know there is another means of safety by having an officer on campus.”

Fontes said it’s an additional level of school security because people can see the vehicle parked outside.

“Visible presence also provides a sense of safety and security,” Fontes said.

The county sheriff said that security was on the officer’s priority list this year.

“In 2022, as far as school security, I mean that’s very important to us,” Jefferson County Sheriff, Jeff Coffey, said, “When people pull onto campus, they can say well, you know there’s, there’s somebody here, and I mean that’s a big point of it.”

The vehicle is used to help with traffic, perimeter and parking lot checks and look into anything suspicious.

The cruiser was initially purchased through taxpayer dollars for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.

Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved.