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Shawnee Mission updates safety program, cites wearable panic alerts and refreshed emergency operations plan
Summary
District police and safety staff told the Board they expanded trainings, deployed a wearable panic-alert system called Syntegix districtwide, completed a streamlined emergency operations plan and added a full‑time elementary officer; officials said alerts have been activated 327 times in five weeks.
Chief Mark Schmidt and Officer Philip Laughlin told the Shawnee Mission Board of Education about this year’s district safety and security work, including training, technology deployments and staffing changes that officials say have increased on-campus support for students and staff.
The update emphasized relationships between officers and school communities. "Our role is more protect the perimeters, protect our kids, and make our staff feel comfortable, because I don't think you learn if you don't feel safe," Chief Mark Schmidt said, describing SROs, D.R.O.s, CSOs and communications staff and saying many officers come to the district after long careers in other agencies.
The district implemented a wearable panic-alert system (referred to in the presentation as Syntegix) that went live for staff on April 21. Officer Philip Laughlin told…
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