Aiken Moving Ahead With Odell Weeks Center Security Measures

Aiken, SC—Usually, Corporal Eugene Morris is walking the halls at South Aiken High School, but this summer he’s been re-assigned to keep an eye on the halls at the Odell Weeks Center.

Corporal Eugene Morris, Aiken Department of Public Safety: “So far the kids have been behaving, like I said, it’s been pretty quiet during the summer.“

He and another school resource officer have been keeping an eye on things, the last couple of months, to make sure everybody plays by the rules.

Glenn Parker, Director, Aiken Parks And Recreation Department: “The resource officers that have been there this summer have been great, because it’s given us that presence that we’ve wanted…a uniformed officer walking through the gym, walking through the building. We’ve actually apprehended some people that, without those officers being there, that wouldn’t have happened.“

Next week, they’ll be replaced: two officers were just hired at the Aiken Department of Public Safety specifically for this job…and soon the watch will be theirs. Also watching will be a new security system…one with cameras that can turn, zoom, and have clearer pictures than what’s seen now. And, to keep out people they don’t want in, officials are installing a new card-system at a brand-new front desk that will be built late this summer.

Parker: “You’ll come in, you’ll swipe your card, just like you do if you go into the gym, your picture will pop up on the screen, but also we hope to have a camera that will be looking, so when we have a problem, if we have a problem in the gym, or whatever, and we’ll be able to determine who came into the building, what time they came into the building, and our hope is one day to get to the point to where we’ll know who came out of the building.“

For the two officers on the way out, and headed back to school, there is a bit of advice:

Cpl. Morris: “For the two guys coming in, just get to know the kids that are coming in here, because the majority of the kids will be here most of the time. Once they get to know you and trust you, usually don’t have any problems with them.“

City officials are contracting with a security company for those cameras, right now. They expect to get ID systems in place and call boxes by the track by the first of the year.