ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — This fall, St. Tammany Parish School District put new protocols in place to keep sports fans safe, including metal detectors, a clear bag policy, and a one bag per person limit.
“It’s good to have precautions like this in schools,” Grandmother Pamela Hebert said.
Lori and Pamela Hebert say the new protocols give them peace of mind.
“I would rather be safe,” Parent Lori Hebert said. “They can look at whatever is in my bag.”
For Covington Police Department Lt. Kevin Collins, the benefits of see-through bags go beyond peace of mind.
“It provides an opportunity for us to clearly see contraband and any prohibited items,” Lt. Collins said.
St. Tammany Parish Schools’ Superintendent Frank Jabbia told our partners at Nola.com they’re working with law enforcement to be proactive.
“School campuses are restricted places where you can’t bring guns,” Superintendent Frank Jabbia told Nola.com. “But how do we know if people follow that?
This comes after gun violence has devastated more than one high school across Southeast Louisiana.
Over the past two years, two Bogalusa teenagers have been shot and killed at high school sporting events.
In 2022, one was killed, and six were injured across two high school graduation shootings in New Orleans and Hammond.
Just this week, two students and two teachers were killed at a Georgia High School.
“You hear about it on the news, then you think of your grandkids that are in school and you have a fear which is not good,” Pamela Hebert said.
For the Heberts, buying a new bag is a small price to pay for safety.
“I think it’s a good idea, I really do,” Pamela Hebert said.
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