In an age when school shootings seem to have become almost commonplace, and even Amish country is no longer safe, parents often wonder what measures are being taken by the community to protect children and young adults while attending school.

Indeed, school security has become such a hot topic that 17 school superintendents discussed it at their monthly meeting this month and are planning to discuss it further at their Las Vegas meeting in November.

In Nye County, school security is handled by four employees of the Nye County Sheriff's Office (NCSO) who work for the Division of Special Services.

Three officers, Don Boulder, Jan Moore, and Mike Medrano, cover the six schools in southern Nye County, and the northern schools are patrolled by Doug Farinholt.

Having officers on campus specifically for school-related issues has not only helped free up regular NCSO deputies but has also made law enforcement more accessible to students.

Assistant Sheriff Bill Weldon, head of the Division of Special Services, said the program has been a good way for students to address their concerns and does not target only disciplinary problems.

"The door's always open for students to interact with officers face to face," said Weldon. "The program has really been good for building a rapport with kids and helping them to address concerns that previously haven't been addressed."

In fact, Boulder said much of his and the other officers' work was based on being proactive, and "not waiting for things to happen."

He said the officers try to be resource officers as opposed to cops, and they attempt to "solve problems rather than reacting to crime."

When the Cops in School program first started, Boulder and other officers noticed that a lot of crime (such as drug sales and use) took place where there were a lot of cedar trees toward the back of Pahrump Valley High School.

So the officers and volunteers cleaned the area up, a gravel company and Murphy Construction donated supplies and labor, and Boulder said that since then the amount of incidents in the area have dropped significantly. Without the donated help of the entire community, the total bill for the project would have been $25,000.

The majority of complaints involve thefts and disputes, although the disputes are not necessarily fights but also include tense face-offs between individuals or groups.

The thefts, Boulder said, often involve unsecured property and lost iPods, PSPs, and similar items. However, more serious situations such as gang activity or threats have occurred.

Sept. 29, there were what Dale Norton, assistant superintendent of character education, called "grumblings and rumblings" of possible violence due to a gang threat.

As a result, the NSCO had additional officers present at both that night's football game and the Fall Festival, keeping a close eye on students who may have been involved.

"We take threats very seriously," said Capt. Bill Becht. "We follow up on them with thorough investigations."

Boulder said he was "very impressed" with the relationship between the school district and the NSCO. "Everyone is on the same page and wants what's best for the kids," he said.

Norton said that when it came to gang activity, the special resource officers are "aggressive" and make it a point to "talk to key players."

Boulder said other resources include the district attorney's investigators, bailiffs, juvenile officers as well as additional officers from the NCSO.

The first thing he and other officers do when they hear of possible trouble is establish if the threat is credible, usually by talking to students and keeping their ears open. "Young people aren't so skeptical, like adults," said Boulder. "They're more willing to talk to you."

Once the credibility of the threat is established, the main focus is shifted to preventative measures.

The officers will attempt to keep individuals or groups separated. There are also administrative prevention measures in place. For example, if there is reason to believe an individual could be in danger, the school can send the student home and the absence will not affect academic performance.

In addition to handling the concerns of students, the officers also educate students for the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) programs. They also act as a supplement to school administrators and staff, by attending school events and making appearances at disciplinary hearings.

But between DARE and GREAT at every school in the county, and their regular patrol and official duties, the officers are kept plenty busy. But they still can not be everywhere at once. "They're doing a great job for the load they're bearing," said Norton.

However, he added he would like to see more officers and more funding. Currently, the Cops in Schools program is funded through a cooperative grant that was authored by the NSCO and NCSD.

The grant is in its last year, and Norton would like to see funding built in to the district budget and acquire more grant money to supplement the program.

Boulder agreed with the need for more officers. He pointed out that between teaching classes, sick leave, and regular training, there was a lot to take him and the other officers away from their patrolling duties.

But Boulder said he enjoys working with students and being an available resource for them.

He said one of the most rewarding things about his job was being thanked by a student or parent for something he's done to help the student change.

"And some of those (thanks) come from students that were convicted, and had served jail time," said Boulder.