CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In the wake of the deadly school shooting in Northern California, there’s a renewed sense of urgency about school lockdown drills.
NBC Charlotte is taking a closer look at how local schools are practicing for the worst case scenario.
Officials from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools say they require schools to do at least two lockdown drills each year, but schools are encouraged to do more than that.
“Yesterday was a really good indication of just how bad things can go,” said Rob Tufano, a spokesman for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.
Law enforcement says the California school’s lockdown was “monumental” for student safety. They say the shooter became frustrated because access to the building was restricted.
Tufano was hesitant to grade the school district’s readiness, but he offered a statement about his own children.
“I’d feel safe sending my child to a CMS school," Tufano said. "Absolutely.”
Police say CMS leads the drills, but school resource officers are there to help.
Tufano said schools are certainly safer now than years ago.
“I suspect we will look back five years from now and say, ‘Good golly, look how much more fortified and safe it is from 2017,'” Tufano said.