In conjunction with School Resource Officer Appreciation Day on Thursday, Feb. 15, the Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District Student Information Resource Officers (SIRO) are advocating for firearm safety as part of the nationwide Be SMART program.
The Be SMART campaign focuses on responsible gun ownership to prevent gun-related child deaths. Be SMART provides a framework that parents, caretakers, and community leaders can follow to help keep their communities safe. SMART is an acronym that stands for:
- Secure all firearms in your home and vehicles;
- Model responsible behavior around firearms;
- Ask about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes;
- Recognize the role of firearms in suicide, and;
- Tell your peers to be S-M-A-R-T.
A group of F-M parents has partnered with the Town of Manlius Police Department to bring this program to the community. Together, they hope to distribute Be SMART materials to parents and families, make sure resources are available, and offer presentations to spread the word. Information can be found on the Be SMART website or by contacting Captain Tina Stanton at the Town of Manlius Police Department.
“Providing our students and staff with a safe educational environment remains one of our top priorities, and we are proud to be part of this important public service campaign addressing students unauthorized access to guns in the home,” added Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig Tice.
“I applaud our School Information Resource Officers and Special Patrol Officers for adopting this initiative as part of their annual appreciation day in an effort to remind all of us to model responsible behavior regarding the appropriate storage of firearms.”
The District’s support of the Be SMART program directly aligns with the goals and objectives explained in the SIRO/SPO program agreement between the district and the Town of Manlius Police Department. Along with addressing safety issues while at F-M, the Student Information Resource Officers and Special Patrol Officers promote a caring, safe, respectful, and orderly learning environment in our schools, establish relationships with students and act as mentors, and lead educational programs and activities that teach students about law enforcement.