Murrieta Police Chief Addresses School Safety In Wake Of TX Shooting

MURRIETA, CA — As the nation grieves for Uvalde, Texas, following Tuesday's mass shooting at an elementary school that left 19 students and two adults dead, Murrieta Police Chief Tony Conrad shared a statement Wednesday with the community regarding school safety in his city.

The chief's entire statement follows:

“Our hearts hurt today for those students, parents, and teachers affected by yesterday’s callous act of violence. We are grateful for the courageous members of law enforcement that responded to the scene and without hesitation put themselves in harm’s way to end the bloodshed. As we mourn, we continue to make our schools and student/teacher safety our #1 priority. This morning, 20 officers stood by at every school in Murrieta to show their commitment to keeping our schools safe. We spoke with parents and staff, greeted students as they entered their campus, and made it clear we will put ourselves in harm’s way to protect the lives of our most precious citizens, our students and teachers.

"Please know, the vigilance for safety within our schools is the norm for Murrieta PD. We staff a full-time officer at every middle school and every high school—everyday (Monday through Friday). The School Resource Officer (SRO) team is also responsible for and visits all of our elementary schools regularly. A full-time SRO Sergeant and SRO Corporal—totaling eight sworn positions are dedicated to our schools in Murrieta, full time. Our SROs have no other responsibilities during the school year—school safety is their responsibility. In addition to the SROs, our Traffic Officers are present at the schools each school day for morning arrival and afternoon dismissal.

"In lockstep with our elected officials and City Hall, the Murrieta Police Department will continue to focus on school safety, continue to work closely with our partners at Murrieta Valley Unified School District and Murrieta Fire & Rescue, and we will continue to train on active shooter response and will always make school safety our #1 priority in Murrieta. In partnership with our community, we will always protect life and keep Murrieta safe."

Related: Texas School Shooting: What We Know About Uvalde Victims