Sheriff ends practice of placing deputy on highway at Shannon schools
Sheriff Jim H. Johnson said effective immediately his office will no longer place a deputy in the middle of any highway to direct school traffic at Shannon Primary and Shannon Elementary Schools.
The decision follows the tragic loss of two School Resource Officers and what Johnson described as a serious close call earlier Thursday morning, the sheriff said in a Facebook post. “The safety of our deputies must remain a top priority,” he wrote, according to the post.
Johnson said his office is meeting with the superintendent and his staff, along with representatives from the Mississippi Department of Transportation, to evaluate safer traffic solutions. He said agencies are working together to implement changes intended to improve traffic flow while ensuring the safety of deputies, students, staff and families.
The sheriff asked parents and guardians to allow additional time for student drop-off and pick-up and thanked the community for its patience. School resource officers typically help with campus safety and traffic control; officials said they will pursue alternatives to roadside traffic direction. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details emerge.
