Chief’s Desk – August 12, 2022

By: Meridian Police Chief Blake Johnson
Although it doesn’t feel like it, summer is ending and school will begin on August 18. The first day of school is a reminder to all of us to pay attention to the school zones. Officers will be out and actively enforcing to ensure the safety of everyone. 
Last year we had a couple of drivers who were not paying attention and passed school buses while dropping off children. Please remember when you are behind a bus, do not pass when they have red lights flashing. This is true for both directions of the road as children do not always look both ways before crossing the street. 
The city has many school aged children who are being picked up in the morning and dropped off in the afternoon. Most school zones are from 7am-9am and 2pm-4pm. Children are being picked up all over and not just inside posted school zones, so make sure you are paying attention during these peak times.
On August 20, the City of Meridian will be hosting an event at the city park open to all. The event is free to attend and will include food and activities for all ages. The Back to School Bash will be providing school supplies from the community to the Meridian Independent School District. 
Communities all around Bosque County have responded, and all schools will be receiving your generous donations in the form of needed school supplies to the students of all our communities schools.
The biggest change this year for the school has been the tragic events that unfolded in Uvalde. This  summer the school district and your police department have worked together to make our learning centers a safe environment for our youth. We continue to train and meet to refine and update our response to critical incidents. The police response in Uvalde reminds us how important it is to make public safety our priority. The Meridian Police Department will start this school year on our campuses and will be actively seen in hallways, parking lots, and other areas around the schools. 
The presence this year will be the same police presence we had last year. We will be saying hello to the students as parents dropped off students for class in the morning, as well as other positive interactions throughout the day. 
Help our community make this school year fun, and stay safe. I thank you for your support