With the recent school shooting in Nashville, necessary precautions are being taken by Guam Department of Education high schools with the Guam Police Department. 

The safety and security of students  is a major concern that chair of the Guam Education Board, Angel Sablan constantly brings up during their regular meetings. "We don't have the resources right now in our schools - not even in our entrances not even on the perimeter of the fencing, no cameras, no metal detectors."

Sablan says the one good that is happening in regards to addressing his concerns? "We're implementing the school resource officers with the Guam Police Department and we're going to kick that off in a couple of weeks," he added.

There will be a GPD officer stationed in each GDOE high school for the duration of the day. Addressing school violence and ensuring school safety is a priority, as GPD chief Stephen Ignacio, "We have a school resource program that we've been working on with the governor and lieutenant governor and with the legislature providing the funding. We identified the officers that will be working in the schools and they are going through their training now.

"Some of it is just updated training on things such as use of force, use of tasers, de-escalation training, juvenile policies and procedures."

Ignacio says one training is complete they will be detailed to the GDOE high schools.  It's a program he is excited about and says he has been having regular meetings with the GDOE superintendent Dr. Kenneth Swanson and the GEB.

Ignacio says last year, when officers were assigned to the schools at the start of classes and during lunch and break times, it helped reduce the amount of violence.

And with the recent high school shooting in Nashville, Chief Ignacio wants to get ahead of it. He said, "It's just a matter of when not if, anymore. I hate to make that comment but we have to be honest with ourselves- the threat is real and it does exist."

In the meantime, Sablan is looking to approach the legislature to seek funding for SROs for the middle schools. "I'm proposing that the Park Police be funded so they can stand up a division of SROs for the middle schools...it's a big goal of mine," he shared.