HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — After a crash involving Habersham County student-athletes traveling outside the county, some parents are asking why no school police officer accompanied the team on its overnight trip.
Parents told Now Georgia they expected some level of school police presence when students traveled several counties away for an overnight, school-sponsored athletic event. They also questioned why no Habersham County Schools Board of Education Police officer was with the team following the collision.
Now Georgia has not independently confirmed whether district policy requires a school police officer to accompany athletic teams on overnight or long-distance trips. A call to Habersham County Schools Police Chief Murray Kogod was not returned before publication.
Habersham County Sheriff Robin Krockum told Now Georgia that security arrangements for student-athlete travel are handled by the Habersham County Schools Board of Education Police Department.
“If my deputies are needed, we are always ready to help,” Krockum said.
It remained unclear Saturday how many coaches, school employees or other adult chaperones were traveling with the team, whether police presence had been requested or what procedures the district follows when students are involved in a crash outside Habersham County.
Broader questions
The crash comes as the structure and responsibilities of the school district’s police department face increased public scrutiny. Questions have emerged about how school police officers and officers from other local law enforcement agencies are used to provide security across the district.
The incident has now raised another concern among parents: What law enforcement or emergency-response coverage should be available when Habersham County students travel outside the county for school-sponsored events, particularly those involving long-distance travel and overnight stays?
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