AURORA, Colo. — Why didn't police go in? That was the question Leah Abbott had after the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in May.
"It started occurring to me that the same thing could happen here," Abbott said.
She’s the mother of twins, Kenzie and Brayden Abbott, who are juniors at Cherokee Trail High School in Aurora.
"I'm nervous to go back to school because you go to school never knowing what'll happen that day or even if you'll make it home," Kenzie said.
On May 24, an 18-year-old former student went into Robb Elementary School in Uvalde and killed 19 students and two teachers while police officers set up in the hallway. The police response has been questioned after it took more than an hour before officers went after the shooter.
"You should be able to rely on a quick response from the police," Brayden said.
The Abbott family wants to know whether their school has a plan for a quick response if there is an active shooter and who would make the call to go in.
Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Chris Smith said the start of the first school year after Uvalde is a crucial time to address parents' and students' concerns.
"Safety and security is our No. 1 priority in the Cherry Creek School District, so what would I say is – trust us," Smith said.
He said he wants people like the Abbott family to know there’s a plan.
"We will respond in,” said Ian Lopez, the school district’s director of safety and security. “We will have command and control over that scene. We will be working together.”
Lopez said that in school buildings over the summer, his team trained with law enforcement from several jurisdictions in active shooter drills.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown said his deputies will go in without hesitation.
"Not all law enforcement agencies operate the same way, and one of the things that we're most proud of is training in this area," Brown said.
In addition to police training, students and teachers participate in lockdown drills. Brayden said he and his sister hate them.
"You can hide in a classroom with the lights off, but everybody knows that procedure, including school shooters," Brayden said. "If the police take that long to get there, the lockdown drills aren’t effective."
Kenzie said the drills are stressful.
"It definitely causes me anxiety, and it makes me more scared to go to school, and I understand that we have to have drills, but they're still scary," she said.
Lopez said he understands.
"I don't want to cause anybody anxiety," he said. "But unfortunately, we do have to train."
Cherry Creek schools also have added security measures this year. Front entrances have a secured area between two sets of doors to contain visitors. School vestibules and classroom door locks are being enhanced.
"All classroom door locks will now either have a push button or a twist lock that can be easily secured from the inside," Lopez said.
Every room will now have something schools have never had before called RedBags.
The bags contain specialized tourniquets and bandages, packaged with a QR code that activates a secure communication system via cellphone during a security lockdown.
"We train our teachers to check in by clicking prompts," Lopez said.
Teachers can provide real-time information from the classroom to first responders, such as the number of students and adults present during lockdown procedures. Lopez calls it a gamechanger.
"We have the ability to talk or communicate directly with each classroom,” he said. “That was something we never had been able to do before.”
Communications can provide relief to those waiting and wondering while hiding in a classroom, he said.
"The worst part of the lockdown other than the incident itself is not knowing anything," he said. "So, having RedBag gives us the ability to give them information."
The RedBags cost about $268,000 districtwide, but those expenses were covered by a state grant, according to Cherry Creek schools.
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