The Suffolk Parents 4 School Safety Committee Meeting is working alongside Suffolk Public Schools to perform security and safety assessments this summer.

The committee discussed the assessments during their Monday meeting about the schools they have heard back from and the pending schedule of assessments.

One of the committee members, Emil Reynolds, has been asked by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Rice to walk through each school and make security and safety assessments.

“Emil has a security background, and this is what our committee was set up to do,” committee president Jennifer Brennon said. “We take from the community and get them involved.”

The assessments will consist of Reynolds reviewing the layouts, student activity drills with the principals and listen to any recommendations from their perspective.

The summer has been an optimal time for the group to start to ramp up their meetings and try and make change within the schools.

“Now that it is summer, we are picking things back up and it is a great time to get things done. The kids aren’t in school, so the principals and administrators have more time to have meetings,” Brennon said.

The committee wants the community and administration involved in security issues and bringing different solutions to the table.

Reynolds has already reached out to many of the schools, and he has already completed an assessment at the College and Career Academy at Pruden.

Reynold was in the Army for a little more than 10 years, and he has worked in the private security sector in civilian life after getting out of the Army.

“I linked up with the staff yesterday and we did a walkthrough,” Reynolds said. “The campus is unique because of their campus and their student body. They were very aware of their needs in terms of security.”

Reynolds was there to do the assessment and answer security questions for the school administration, but he was certain that the principals and other school administration knew what they need.

“There is no better expert than the administration that is on campus every day,” Reynolds said. “They know their student body and they know their building and campus. They knew where to identify their weaknesses.”

Reynolds is happy to offer his skills for free to Suffolk Public Schools, especially because he is a parent.

“We are all just parents and we want our kids to have a good education,” Reynolds said. “When your eight-year-old comes home and says we did this code red drill it’s a big problem because your kid can’t focus on schooling.”