PETERSBURG, Va. -- Tensions inside Petersburg High School prompted a heightened police presence inside the school on Friday. Officials said that if students don't make changes, the presence of law enforcement will continue.
"We've seen an uptick in our school fights. This week, we've had an officer who was struck in the head with a chair by a student," Petersburg Police Chief Travis Christian said.
As the school year continues, officials are being met with near-daily issues with some students.
"Officers getting assaulted, staff members getting assaulted. Children that are coming to school to learn, that are being assaulted and feel like they're in an unsafe environment, we have to come together and develop a plan to do something," Christian said.
In response to the heightened violence, school leaders and the Petersburg police came up with a plan.
"There's a lot of split-second, knee-jerk decisions and some of the social media, so this is an effort to talk about decisions, choices and consequences," Dr. Julia Hamlin, the acting superintendent for Petersburg Schools, said.
Christian said despite the police presence on Friday, one student was already taken out of the high school.
"He was told by the officer that was assisting the staff member that he would have to go to the office and he decided to swing at the officer," Christian said.
Christian said that violent behavior won't be tolerated in any school which has led to an increase in police presence at other schools as well.
"Our schools are safe. We're going through a maturation where our students are really making some wrong decisions, to settle some conflicts. Sometimes it trickles in from our community and vice versa, but we're working together to combat it," Hamlin said.
Christian said the additional police officers will remain in schools until order is restored. Both police and school leaders are also looking at options on how to handle cellphone use in schools.
