With just a few more weeks until children go back to school, the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office has taken numerous steps to protect students against violence and threats of harm.

Sheriff Kirk Imperati wrote this letter which was posted on Facebook that says, in part, "As the first day of school approaches, I want every student, parent, teacher, staff, and school administrator to know that their safety and security is a priority with the Dutchess County Sheriff's Office."

Sheriff Imperati concluded, "We will continue to work cooperatively with all our law enforcement, emergency management, mental health and school district partners to safeguard our schools from the threat of violence."