Dist. 5 Security Chief Sees Training, Awareness as Critical

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

For the past 18 months, Shannon Piller has been shining his law enforcement spotlight on the potential safety issues in Anderson School Dist. 5 schools.

As the district’s executive director for safety and security, it’s his job to find and mend, and mitigate potential problems. It’s a big job in the county’s largest district, with 18 schools serving more than 13,200 students.

But Piller, who is part of a family that comes from a long line of law enforcement officers, seems to find great satisfaction in the responsibility. Since joining the district, he’s added portable weapon/metal detectors for the high schools, including some athletic events (including football games this fall), portable and discreet alarms worn by all teachers and staff in the schools, and an detailed evaluation and mapping out of every hallway and classroom in the district, all with the idea of aiding law enforcement should and emergency arise. He has also spent a great deal of time providing training, something he sees as critical to keeping students safe.

Pillar talked about some of the current procedures as well as plans for the future in this interview with the Anderson Observer.