Barnegat Police Assure Parents Of Students' Safety After Shooting

BARNEGAT, NJ — Barnegat police are assuring parents they will do everything to keep children safe following Tuesday's Texas shooting that killed at least 19 children and two adults.

Barnegat Police Chief Keith Germain shared a statement on Facebook telling parents that police will continue to do everything they can to alleviate the worries and anxieties of children heading to school.

"You send your kids off to school with the hope and belief that they're going to be safe and come back to you the way you sent them out the door," Germain said. "Anything else is both unthinkable and unacceptable."

Germain said that police "of course" would be present today when children arrive, throughout the day and at dismissal. But, Germain said, this is not just for today or for even the month.

"They are things we do every day, at every school. We have for years, and we will continue to until society evolves beyond where we find ourselves today," Germain said.

Barnegat police are "among the best trained in the business," Germain said. Officers have worked hard to earn the trust of parents, children and the school district that so that warning signs before violence are investigated, he said.

Barnegat officers are skilled in de-escalation and using the least amount of force possible, Germain said. But they also are able to "quickly and decisively end any imminent threat to our kids," he said.

"As a parent, I know the worry of sending them out the door. But as a student of the pre-Columbine era, I can't begin to imagine the worry and anxiety that our kids feel today," Germain said. He insisted that police will continue to keep children safe in Barnegat.

"We'll do everything we can to help alleviate that by continuing to be present, visible, and vigilant," he said.