Clayton County Public Schools announced random searches at schools as new safety protocol

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) announced on Wednesday it will now conduct random searches at various locations.

The school district said this decision was made as a way to “safeguard the school environment from disruptive behaviors.”

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CCPS released the following statement on Wednesday along with the announcement of random searches: Clayton County Public Schools (CCPS) is committed to safeguarding the school environment from disruptive behaviors that impede the core business of our district - educating tomorrow’s leaders today. As part of this commitment, the CCPS Division of Safety and Security has partnered with various law enforcement organizations throughout Clayton County and beyond to start random searches at various CCPS locations this week.

Dr. Anthony W. Smith, CCPS superintendent and CEO of schools, said the recent incidents throughout the metro area have caused leaders to re-focus on their students’ behaviors.

“Recent events throughout Metro Atlanta have caused our district leadership to re-focus on the need for our students to be responsible for their behavior,” Smith said.

CCPS said the commitment is also aligned with Smith’s five priorities.

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“It is also important that we remind our families and our communities that they play an essential role in supporting our efforts to keep our campuses FREE ZONES – weapons-free, violence-free, drug-free, bully-free, and gang-free. These Five Behaviors Norms are non-negotiables for our school system,” said Smith. “Working together, we can ensure that our students have the opportunity for the successful future they deserve and, in all honesty, should expect from Clayton County Public Schools.”

The school district said the CCPS Division of Safety and Security has partnered with law enforcement organizations throughout Clayton County on this initiative.

The district said the searches may include K-9 dogs at the middle and high school levels only.

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