Des Moines, Iowa — An Iowa Department of Public Safety Special Agent In Charge is the first chief of the new School Safety Bureau Governor Reynolds announced in June.
Special Agent Don Schnitker says the goal of the Governor’s School Safety Bureau is to be a new resource.
The governor has allocated 100 million dollars to the program. Schnitker has been in law enforcement for 21 years, including the last 17 years as part of the Department of Criminal Investigation’s Major Crime Unit. He knows from experience that these issues are not going away.
His first step is hiring the team that he’ll lead.
One of the first things they plan to do is provide training.
He says that training isn’t just tailored to law enforcement, as it can also better prepare educators.
One other resource is a dedicated emergency radio that will be offered to any district that wants one.
Schnitker says all students should know that Iowa schools are very safe and this isn’t a response or a fear that something is going to happen. He compares it to wearing your seatbelt in the car, as you don’t expect to get into an accident, but you are prepared and safer with a seatbelt if it does. Schnitker is working to get many of these things in place and ready for the start of the school year this fall.
