The killing of three students and three adults at the Covenant School in Nashville have heightened the concerns of both Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing and Shelbyville Police Chief Jan Phillips.

“Without a doubt this is something that made national news and is only about 50 miles away,” Swing said. “That really is a sobering thought. In our business it is always something that is in the back of your mind that this could happen at any place at any time.

“I know I have thought over and over in my head how many people at that school got up Monday morning thinking that something like that was going to happen. No one could have expected it.”

The Sheriff’s department assigns school resource officers (SROs) at all public middle and high schools in the county. Shelbyville Central High School and Harris Middle School each have two SROs. They are all armed.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced a school safety plan proposal to place armed SROs at every public school in the state and provide funding for private schools to take similar actions. The plan, which would provide $140 million for armed security, would have to pass the legislature before being implemented.

Bedford County commissioners are also considering a wheel tax to fund SROs.

“It’s a good thing,” Phillips said of the potential plans to add more SROs. “It is a shame we have to do this. It is sad.”

Seven of the elementary schools in the county – East Side, South Side, Eakin, Learning Way, Thomas, Cascade and Community - do not have SROs, but the Shelbyville Police Department makes daily stops at the elementary schools within the city limits. Swing also points out that Community’s elementary school and middle school are together and the SRO covers both schools. Learning Way is across the street from Harris Middle School and those SROs would be close if needed in an emergency.

The Shelbyville Police Department helps to fill in the gaps.

“On a daily basis we usually hit every school inside the city limits that don’t have SROs,” Phillips said. “We also stop by the high school and middle school. Whenever they on patrol they will stop at a school and do a walk-through and check everything out at least once a day and let students and teachers see us.

“We park our cars out in front of the school. We think that is a good deterrent.”

Phillips also makes an effort to personally make an appearance at various schools whenever his schedule allows.

“I try to hit one or two schools every once in a while, myself,” Phillips said. “It is good to let the teachers and students see you.

“This is just not a reaction to what happened last week in Nashville. We have been doing this for years.”

Both also applauded the methods used in stopping the killing spree.

“They went after the shooter without waiting for any help,” Phillips said. “Going directly to the threat is the way we are trained as well.”

Swing’s SROs are also trained to react immediately to a shooting threat.

“Metro officers handled it as well as it could have been handled in that kind of situation,” Swing said. “They did it exactly the way it was supposed to be done. It was textbook.

“You take the shooter out as soon as possible…no questions asked. That is the way our SROs are trained to do it. It makes a lot of difference that our officers are armed.”