The latest mass shooting in Texas has schools across the Hudson Valley on high alert Wednesday.
The police department in Rye Brook says it will be doing directed patrols of all school buildings within the village.
"It's heartbreaking and it makes it nerve wracking dropping your kids off at school," says Joanna Goldstein, of Rye Brook.
Blind Brook school officials say they will be revisiting school security procedures. In Mamaroneck, school officials activated their crisis response team, psychologists, social workers, and guidance counselors to support children and families.
Over in Pleasantville, schools are adopting similar measures with an increased presence of law enforcement at the schools.
The
Westchester Police Department announced it will be increasing patrols in the school districts where it has School Resource Officers assigned. Those districts include Somers, North Salem, Lakeland and Hendrick Hudson.
"You should assume that children know more than you think or hope that they know around these sorts of things because they have exposure based on relationships with other youngsters," says school counselor Dr. Elisa English. "And so, you should feel comfortable and assume that they know, talking to them about it, so you can help them differentiate between what's reality and what's facts, you want to be the person filtering the information that they receive."
Counselors say this can be a really scary time for your children especially the little ones as more details about the shooting are released. They say it's important to listen to them and reassure them that their school is doing everything possible to keep them safe.