Following the deadly Oct. 15 shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, which claimed the lives of three children and a teacher, the community is searching for ways to prevent future tragedies. School safety veteran James “Mo” Canady, a former school resource officer with 12 years of law‑enforcement experience, says parents have a critical role to play.

Parents as partners in safety

Canady urges families to stay actively involved in their schools. “For parents, first of all, be engaged in what’s going on with your school community. Attend school board meetings as you can,” he told reporters. By showing up at board meetings, PTA gatherings and other school events, parents can voice concerns, ask questions and help shape safety policies.

Balanced emergency preparedness

The expert also highlighted the importance of realistic yet compassionate emergency drills. “The last thing we want to do is traumatize students, but we also need to teach them the basics of, of, you know, almost a muscle memory type thing,” Canady explained. He recommends drills that focus on clear, calm instructions without sensationalizing the threat.

Comprehensive safety measures

According to Canady, a single solution—such as an armed officer on campus—does not guarantee safety. He listed several layers that schools should consider:

• Secure entrances with controlled access.
• Well‑developed crisis‑response plans.
• Trained school resource officers (SROs) who work closely with local law enforcement.
• Ongoing cooperation between educators, parents and police.

He cautioned that even a professionally trained SRO is only one layer of protection. “Having a trained school resource officer can be one layer of protection, but it does not eliminate every risk,” he said. “Safety is a moving target at times.”

Community collaboration is key

Canady emphasized that preventing school violence requires a sustained partnership among families, school leaders, law‑enforcement agencies and the broader community. No single measure can guarantee a completely safe environment, but a coordinated effort can reduce risk and improve response readiness.

As Bend mourns the loss of its children and teacher, the call to action is clear: parents must remain vigilant, schools must maintain realistic preparedness, and law‑enforcement must stay engaged. Together, these steps aim to protect the next generation and restore confidence in the safety of Oregon’s classrooms.

Original reporting: LEX18 Lexington (local) — read the source article.