CEDAR CITY, Utah (ABC4) — A reported gun threat at Canyon View High School instigated a meeting between Cedar City Police Department and Iron County School District to discuss how to keep students safer.

On Monday, Feb. 27, around 12:20 p.m., a juvenile reportedly pulled a gun and pointed it at four Canyon View High School students in the parking lot.

Iron County School District sent a press release on Friday, Mar. 3, which outlined the following:

On Tuesday, Feb. 28, at approximately 12:14 a.m., someone reportedly called Cedar City dispatch and warned them that the suspect in the parking lot incident threatened to shoot up the school.

Canyon View High School held school on Tuesday with increased police surveillance, but reportedly the administration was still unaware of the threat of a school shooting.

Iron County School District said they were not informed of a dispatch call relating to the suspect until Wednesday evening at about 9 p.m., and did not know it was in relation to a possible school shooting until Thursday night at 5:20 p.m.

In response to the situation, on Monday, Mar. 6, ICSD and Cedar City Police Department met to discuss better ways to increase the security and safety of students in ICSD.

According to a joint press release by both ICSD and CCPD, the focus of the meeting was on identifying policies or procedures that could increase school safety, as well as better communication with parents.

The press release also outlined that school officials must rely on the expertise of police when dealing with these investigations. It also stated that while law enforcement coordination is imperative, it cannot impede the important work they are doing.

“Both sides agreed, law enforcement and schools walk a fine line in determining how much information can be shared during an ongoing investigation.”

The press release outlined areas of improvements to be made including:

• Better two-way communication between School Resource Officers and school and district administrators
• Clearer and earlier communication with parents during real and drilled security procedures
• Education of parents on different types of security measures in schools and expectations for them, including the different types of lockdowns and when they are used.
• A review of safety and security policies at the district level with recommendations made to the school board for additions to the official policy which would govern all schools.
• A review of coordination agreements between SROs and school administrators.
• Fencing at elementary schools to solidify a single point of entry. The fences will be built using capital funding.
• Installation of keyless entry on all school doors. At this point, the equipment has been ordered, but supply chain issues have delayed installation significantly.

Additionally, they said future improvements may involve:

• The addition of a district safety and security specialist to coordinate drills, protocols, access controls in schools, etc.
• Installation of secure vestibules in all schools to facilitate a single point of entry. The cost of renovations in at least 11 schools would necessitate the expense being placed on an upcoming bond.
• A community event where parents are educated about the formation of gangs, and steps they can take to protect their children.

“Our relationship with Iron County School District has never been stronger,” said Cedar City
Police Chief Darin Adams. “We are committed to continuing that strong relationship.”