GFPD provides update on school safety

(GREAT FALLS) Lewis & Clark Elementary School in Great Falls is emphasizing safety to its students and parents after receiving several reports of vehicles stopping and drivers asking children if they want a ride. School officials say that they have notified the Great Falls Police Department, who are increasing patrols in the area.

The school also sent a note to parents explaining the situation, and said that they have gone over safety procedures with all students. Here is a photo of the note:

After KRTV posted the above information online, several people left comments on our Facebook page saying that they had seen and heard of similar incidents at other schools in Great Falls, including Longfellow, Chief Joseph, Sacajawea, and Giant Springs.

The Great Falls Police Department sent the following press release on Thursday afternoon to address some of the concerns:

In the last few days our School Resource Officers have taken complaints regarding suspicious persons possibly following kids who are walking to and from school.

Obviously, the GFPD thoroughly investigates these complaints. The SRO’s have not been able to determine any similarities in the suspect descriptions.

If we had developed a consistent suspect or suspect vehicle description, we would be broadcasting that out to our community. At this point, we want the community to be aware of
the general complaints and make sure you are contacting the Police Department.

The SRO’s have learned there are many children who have been reporting suspicious circumstances to an adult, and instead of the adult contacting the Police Department, the adults are reaching out to social media and the suspicious complaints are not reaching the Police Department.

Many personal Social Media pages are discussing/posting information that has not reached the Police Department.

Your School Resource Officers have been diligently working with their Great Falls Public School Administration to send the message to students on how to be careful and aware when they are walking to and from school.

We encourage you to speak with your children about being aware of their surroundings and always letting an adult know where they are or where they are going. We are asking the
community to listen to your children and report suspicious behavior to the Police. Do not assume the Police Department is aware of personal Social Media posts.

Again, personal Social Media can be a source of information, but it does not engage the Police Department and never takes the place of a Criminal Investigation.

If a child reports a suspicious circumstance or behavior to you, contact the Great Falls Police Department at 406-727-7688 option 5 or call 911 to report any emergencies.

The GFPS website provides information and links that may be helpful, including this overview:

Here are the definitions of key safety terms used by the Great Falls Public School District:

• Evacuation: Defined as an internal emergency that requires students and staff to leave the building for their safety.  Parents should follow emergency notifications.
• Lockdown: Defined as an internal and/or immediate threat.  All staff and students are locked in rooms.  No one IN or OUT!
• Shelter In Place: Defined as a safety precaution for an external threat that is not an immediate or internal threat.
• Class Hold: Defined as a safety precaution implemented during an incident where students need to be kept in the classroom.
• Release with Care: Defined as a possible threat in the schools’ neighborhoods during arrival and release time. Release with care procedures.
  • To ensure safety, the building administrator may ask staff to escort students to/from buses or waiting cars.
  • Staff may also be asked to accompany students home.

Student safety precautions for getting to and from school:

• Students should walk in groups or pairs
• Students should travel on a designated route, and parents should know the route their student is taking
• Students should check in with a responsible individual when they arrive at home
• Students should be taught to always be aware of their surroundings
• Students should avoid alleys on their designated route to/from school
• Students should walk on designated sidewalks and in well-lit areas
• Parents should notify the school when after-school procedures change

Click here to visit the Safety section of the GFPS website.