Special to the Enquirer

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Office is putting the safety of school children at the top of the priority list – and officers are continuing to focus on safety training for the upcoming school year in light of recent nationwide gun violence.

“We continue to put training on the calendar and current events continue to reinforce why we need them,” the MCSO shared on its official Facebook page.

This summer, MCSO staff have toured every school in the county to examine security plans and look for areas to improve. The Priceville Police Department and Decatur SWAT joined deputies in the three Priceville schools to walkthrough response plans and become familiar with the buildings.

Most recently, Jim Buchli, who serves as the school resource officer at Brewer High School, and who recently retired as a lieutenant and SWAT commander, put the team through multiple drills to refine officer’s active response tactics and communication.

Most members of the MCSO leadership will soon continue the training process during an active shooter incident management course hosted by Decatur Fire & Rescue.