HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — We're not even halfway into 2023 yet and already 18 school shootings have taken place.
Although schools have become a target of mass shootings, many schools are taking the proactive route before things take a turn on their campus.
Drake State, for example, the community and technical college will soon conduct interviews for a police chief after announcing a new campus police department.
"The recent developments across our nation have certainly advanced this on the list, the police department on the list of priorities," said Dr. Patricia Sims, President of Drake State Community and Technical College.
Both the number of mass shooting incidents and the number of people shot in them have increased since 2015, reaching a high of 686 mass shooting incidents in 2021.
Dr. Sims aims to focus on safety, so students can focus on what they're here for, education.
"Honestly, they can't learn and be comfortable and focus on their learning environment, if they're worried about their safety," said Dr. Sims.
Like Becky Sims, for example, Drake State Student and Health Sciences Program Assistant at the college.
Students and staff members like Becky Sims are grateful for the security presence that is already there at Drake but she says that added police presence will bring even more peace of mind.
"We like to see them out and about because things happen very quickly. So, you know, if they're visible, we feel safe. But having an actual police officer here that is more skilled and prepared for whatever is going to happen, that, that makes me feel better," said Becky Sims.
I asked Dr. Sims about any previous threats made to the college, while they have had no individual, targeted threats put on them, Drake State wants to be proactive, putting protocols in place before something happens, not after the fact.
"As we look around the corner and think about the future and how that looks and monitor the things that are happening in our nation, it becomes really important. I mean, you can't ignore that there is a need. And so we see that need and we want to be proactive," said Dr. Sims.