Flagler Sheriff & Superintendent Support Adding School Deputies

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Flagler County, FL - At a Thursday press conference, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly and Flagler Schools Superintendent James Tager discussed increasing the number of school resource deputies for security at Flagler schools and weighed in on their views about the possibility of arming school staff for emergency situations. Staly and Tager spoke at the press conference, along with School Board Chairman Trevor Tucker. They agreed on the need to increase the number of school resource deputies in order to protect students. Tager said that the number of school resource deputies at the nine Flagler County schools should be increased from six to 13 deputies. Staly said that an increased number of school resource deputies would also allow for drug resistance education in elementary schools and gang resistance education in middle schools. According to Flagler County Sheriff's Office (FCSO), Staly has already directed his deputies to increase their patrols in schools while not on calls for service or other assignments. “We train for the worst,” said Staly. “We pray that we never need it. But I want you to know that your Sheriff’s Office is prepared and ready to respond. We will immediately respond and engage to stop the threat.” FCSO says they have responded to 21 threats at Flagler County schools since February 15, in the wake of the deadly school shooting in Broward County. One of those threats has led to an arrest. When asked whether or not they would support arming school staff in order to respond to an emergency, Tager and Staly expressed their views. "My viewpoint, which I've shared with the Sheriff and our School Board, is that I feel that the only folks that should be protecting our students are deputy Sheriffs or fully trained police officers," Tager said. Staly said that the decision would be a joint decision between the Superintendent, the School Board, and the Sheriff's Office. "I think the best thing is a deputy in every school, with a floater so that if a deputy is sick or in training, we make sure that there is no school that is not staffed during the school day," explained Staly. He added that he would support making specially trained retired law enforcement officers and Veterans special deputies that could respond in emergency situations under the supervision of full-time deputies, but that possible solution would have to be approved by the law and the School Board. Photo of Tager (left) and Staly (right) at the press conference, courtesy FCSO. Copyright Southern Stone Communications 2018.