School Security Update 12/15/21
As you likely know, there was a tragic school shooting in Michigan earlier this month. These senseless acts of violence are impossible to explain, and the images of the students and faculty involved in these horrifying situations cannot be erased from our minds. During the most recent attack at Oxford High School in Michigan, many students and staff used strategies learned in ALICE training that likely saved many lives.
For our families who are new to the Hanover Public Schools, please be assured that we train and prepare for these situations in close partnership with the Hanover Police Department. We have been using ALICE training and strategies in Hanover since 2014, and we will be scheduling another round of age-appropriate training for students and staff in the months ahead.
We also closely partner with the Hanover Police Department to assess any threat to our schools. As a reminder to families and staff, our Threat Assessment and Response Protocols are available on our website for review. Social media is by far the most common source of threatening information, and we encourage anyone who believes there is a danger to our school community to use the “See Something – Say Something” feature on our website. All reports are investigated promptly and acted upon accordingly.
We live in a very safe and supportive community, but we must remain vigilant and prepared for emergencies at all times. HPS and HPD have been recognized as leaders in this important work, and we will continue to commit our time and resources to inform and train our school community to keep all of us as safe as possible.
Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation – we are all in this together. Please keep the Oxford High School community in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to heal from immeasurable loss.
Sincerely,
Matt Ferron, Superintendent
Walter Sweeney, Jr., Chief of Police
Joel Barrett, District Security Liaison and HMS Assistant Principal
John Voelkel, School Resource Officer