Georgia is working to create Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams throughout the state as a part of a broader school safety effort.
Eight regional Homeland Security Coordinators, all sworn law enforcement officers, will lead the teams and respond to threats or concerning behavior that may be considered a pathway to violence. The BTATs will provide help and guidance to local schools and communities to mitigate potential threats.
Gov. Brian Kemp divulged the effort as part of a school safety update he released in the wake of a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
"Focusing on school safety and improving Georgia’s mental health system are two issues that we tackled immediately upon taking office in 2019," Kemp said in a statement.
"We want to reassure Georgia families today that we have worked closely with the General Assembly and state agencies to ensure our students and educators have secure learning environments," Kemp said. "We will continue to do all we can to protect Georgians – and especially our state’s most treasured asset, our children."
In 2019, Kemp set aside $69 million for school security grants. Under the plan, every public school in Georgia received $30,000 to implement security measures.
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