Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office co-hosts School Safety and Security Summit

GLENDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - With school shooting tragedies continuing to happen nationwide, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with the Arizona Business Education Coalition (ABEC) and the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) to host the third School Safety and Security Summit.

The summit brings together global and national experts from education, law enforcement, physical security, behavioral health, and policymakers to discuss best practices in securing our school campuses and keeping Arizona students and faculty safe. The first of three discussions was held Sunday evening at the Glendale Civic Center and will continue with additional sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

“Going to school to learn, feel safe, and grow in a healthy environment while thriving without fear of harm should be the norm, not the exception,” said Sheriff Paul Penzone.

Keynote speakers include:

• Attorney General Kris Mayes
• Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone
• Jody Weis, former FBI SAC and Chicago Police Department superintendent
• Shannon Keys, National Threat Assessment Center, U.S. Secret Service
• Dr. Leigh Wall, Superintendent, Santa Fe Independent School District, Santa Fe, Texas
• Katey McPherson, Director Professional Development, Bank for Schools
• Mac Schachter, Founder, and Executive Director of Safe Schools for Alex. Schachter lost his son in the Parkland Florida shooting

“What we do in the summit is try to bring together all the stakeholders and have a thoughtful conversation so that we can ensure everything is considered as we take steps to protect our children, not just, institutionalizing or militarizing our campuses,” said Penzone.

Teachers, families, and others can sit in on important conversations regarding safety on campus if there’s an active shooter. For more information on the 2023 School Safety and Security Summit, click here.

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