AST Digital Magazine April 2017 April 2017 | Page 13

Volume 11
Jeremy Gardner suggested to the Sheriff that
perhaps a Bike Patrol could be useful in better
patrolling these subdivision neighborhoods. No
county funds were requested nor needed to form
this five person patrol unit.
April 2017 Edition
alerts the five closest officers in that area.
Local business owners were happy to donate the
funds need for uniforms and equipment. The big-
gest payoff has been an enormous enhancement
of community policing throughout the county and
a drop in the break-ins in these neighborhoods
and businesses.
The National Sheriffs’ Association recognized
Sheriff Mike Brown with the NSA Innovation
Award in 2015 for this highly innovative idea and
(Active shooter preparedness for schools and how COPsync
software can help schools and law enforcement. Courtesy of
COPsync and YouTube)
Cyber S.W.A.T. Team
In an effort to deliver Internet safety education to
as many young people as possible, Sheriff Brown
has introduced the Cyber S.W.A.T. (Safety While
Accessing Technology) Team in Bedford County
high schools.
The idea is to train the older students on how to
present Internet safety presentations and have
them go into the lower grade schools.
the creating a replicable national model.
(Find out the benefits the Rural Bike Patrol has contributed to
the Bedford comunity, courtesy of the Associated Press and
YouTube)
COPsync
Bedford County is the pilot program to work out
the kinks then Cyber S.W.A.T. will be replicated
across the country beginning with the Los Ange-
les school system, where a team is already in
place for a roll out.
Another first in Virginia happened in Bedford
County under the supervision of Sheriff Brown.
When the Board of Supervisors denied the Sher-
iff’s request for more School Resource Officers
to help protect the vulnerable primary schools,
he quickly began searching and researching for
a plan ’B’.
Bedford County was first in the state of VA to es-
tablish COPsync throughout the school system.
COPsync is real-time, in-car information sharing
communications system. Should a threat occur
in any of the schools, any teacher or administra-
tor can send a silent alarm which automatically
(Jefferson Forest launches nation’s first Cyber S.W.A.T.
Team, courtesy of WSLS 10 and YouTube)
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