Atlanta Public Schools unveils new drone, tactical teams ahead of school year

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Atlanta Public Schools is adding two new units to its security operation: a tactical team and a drone team. Ahead of the upcoming school year, the new teams held an active shooter training exercise.

The drone team will assess threats from outside school buildings, while the tactical team is trained to address threats on the inside. Officers assigned to both units were selected and trained specifically for the roles.

APS Chief of Police Ron Applin said the district has partners in the Atlanta Police Department and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, but having in-house drone and tactical teams — staffed by officers who work in the schools daily — will make a significant difference in emergency response.

“Having a force that’s ready to respond right away makes a big difference,” Applin said. “If we can reduce the amount of time that it takes to deal with a threat, the fewer people are going to be hurt or injured.”

According to the district, Atlanta Public Schools has the largest police force in the state.

The district is reminding parents that school safety is a shared responsibility. Ahead of the new school year, APS is urging anyone who sees something suspicious to report it.