After Uvalde: Westport Cops, School District Reiterate Safety Efforts

WESTPORT, CT — In separate messages to the Westport community Wednesday, Schools Superintendent Thomas Scarice and Police Chief Foti Koskinas sought to reassure residents that the town's school system and police force are prepared to deal with crisis situations.

The statements come in the wake of the last week's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 students and two educators were killed.

"In the aftermath of the unspeakable tragedy in Uvalde, Texas last week, I was inclined to first address the emotional state of our community, the abject sadness we all felt while trying to use words to help us all transcend," Scarice wrote. "I want to assure our families, faculty, support staff, and the entire community that while messages of consolation were sent, the district continued to work collaboratively with our local law enforcement and first responders to continue to maintain the highest standards with regards to safety and security."

Westport Public Schools had "two separate emergency response situations" recently, a small fire at Long Lots School, and a shelter-in-place call at Staples High School, and Scarice said both incidents were handled well.

"In both instances our collective response within our schools, and in coordination with local law enforcement and first responders, was very successful," Scarice wrote. "That said, we will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement and security experts to continue to maintain the highest standards of safety for our students, faculty and support staff."

Koskinas reiterated those sentiments, stressing that Westport's leaders and citizens also put safety first.

"Our police department strives to be on the cutting edge of all training and education regarding school shootings and active shooter incidents," Koskinas wrote. "We are extremely fortunate to live in a community where our town leadership affords the police department with the resources, equipment and training to be superior in our response to such a catastrophic event. Additionally, the Westport School District Administration continues to be a valuable partner as we work in close cooperation on issues of school safety and security.

"Although this message comes in the aftermath of the tragedy in Uvalde, Texas on May 24, 2022, the Westport Police Department has repetitively trained and meticulously examined the best practice responses to this type of situation for nearly 30 years. I assure the families of Westport that our officers and the officers assigned to our schools receive and maintain the best training, equipment and preparation available to law enforcement personnel today. I hope that this message gives you some comfort when processing this incomprehensible event."