Law Enforcement, Toms River Schools Look To Strengthen Security

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River school district officials and law enforcement from all of the sending districts met Monday to review the district's emergency plans and look at ways to improve security as school districts across the country continue to take a hard look at the issue in the wake of the Florida school shootings.

“School safety is a constant conversation at Toms River Regional Schools,” Superintendent David Healy said in a news release about the meeting, which he called immensely productive.

"We will continue to discuss and work toward areas of improvement," he said. "The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain above all other priorities."

School security measures have been a focal point in the wake of the Valentine's Day shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 students and staff members and injured 14 more. Parents raised questions about school security at the Board of Education meeting on Feb. 21, and the issue continues to be a topic on local Facebook groups and nationally as well.

At Tuesday night's Toms River Township Council meeting, resident Timothy Williamson raised the issue as well, asking what the township could to do to help ensure the safety of schools and students. Council Vice President George Wittmann, who was chairing the meeting in the absence of Council President Brian Kubiel, said there are armed police officers in the schools. There are other security personnel, the district has said.

Healy said the Toms River school district, like every other district in New Jersey, has emergency plans that they share with the state’s Department of Education and local law enforcement agencies. A minimum of 10 drills per year are required covering everything from intruders to bomb threats to fires and threats outside the building.

School doors are locked throughout each Toms River building, with visitors requiring vetting prior to entrance. The district also works with town emergency planners including first responders, fire officials, paramedics, and police officers to develop a strategy if something were to happen, Healy said.

Details on exact measures in place are not spelled out for safety reasons, officials have emphasized.

“I've observed firsthand how our children and staff react to school emergencies and/or drills,” Healy said. “I am always reassured and impressed by the steadfast adherence to the procedures that we have all trained for on multiple occasions and the responsiveness of our local law enforcement agencies.”

The meeting, which included the police chiefs from Toms River, Pine Beach, South Toms River and Beachwood, along with Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato, looked at ways to enhance security and communication between the district and law enforcement in an emergency.

"The unfortunate reality acknowledged by all parties is that even the most stringent planning and well-executed strategies cannot altogether prevent an individual act of violence," the groups said in the news release. "The district and Toms River law enforcement remain confident that the safety measures they’ve collaboratively enacted and continue to refine have raised the level of security across the district’s 18 schools."

"These meetings highlight the outstanding cooperation between Ocean County schools and law enforcement," Coronato said. "Beyond the implementation of past security initiatives, they have produced immediate additional measures in the wake of the tragic Parkland shootings. Moving forward, our continued conversations will explore both short and long term initiatives to continually strengthen school safety."

Anyone who would like more information about school safety procedures is encouraged to contact Toms River Regional Schools at 732-505-5500.

Law enforcement and Toms River school administrators met Monday. In attendance: Pine Beach Police Chief Matthew Petrecca; Toms River Police Chief Mitch Little; South Toms River Police Chief Andrew Izatt; South Toms River Sgt. William Kosh; Superintendent David Healy, Beachwood Police Chief Robert Tapp; Glenn M. Miller, chief of detectives in the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office; Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato, and Assistant Superintendent Marc Natanagara. Photo provided by Toms River Regional Schools