Tragedies such as the shooting that happened in Uvalde this week are unfathomable to all of us. Uvalde is a close-knit community very much like our own. Everyone in town knew someone who worked at or attended the elementary school where these terrible shootings took place. We cannot even begin to comprehend the horrors being faced by the residents of this community. We join our neighbors in Texas in grieving and in prayer.
We have spoken with our own school district and with members of our law enforcement community about procedures that are in place already to prevent such a tragedy from happening in our own city, and about additional measures that can be taken. The City of Carlsbad strongly supports helping to add any security measures that will ensure that our schools are a safe haven for our children. We also support working with our school district to help make sure our residents are aware of what measures are currently in place.
We have met with Carlsbad School Superintendent Dr. Gerry Washburn and he is in the process of setting up a town hall meeting to discuss school safety and what we are doing to protect our students.
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Thank you to ConocoPhillips for sponsoring a visit by Truckers Against Trafficking to Carlsbad on Wednesday. This included the organization’s Freedom Display. The purpose of this organization is to partner with law enforcement and government agencies to facilitate the investigation of human trafficking. Because truckers are everywhere, they are often the best resource when it comes to putting a stop to human trafficking.
This week, groups who attended the forum were also given information about local resources such as the Cavern City Child Advocacy Center and the Carlsbad Battered Families Shelter. They were also provided information on what signs to look for to see if human trafficking is taking place. Anyone who feels they may be a witness to human trafficking is asked to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888 to provide information.
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We have one more group from Wednesday’s Parade of Champions who is worthy of special mention. The Carlsbad FFA was recognized by the National FFA in October as the highest-ranking chapter in the state. We were honored to have the FFA participate in this week’s ceremony. The group won State FFA Parliamentary Procedure in January and will compete in Nationals in October. The local group includes the state’s vice president, Madeline Clark, and the district sentinel Liberty Bourgeois. Congratulations to Carlsbad’s FFA. Thank you all for keeping us informed of these many developments.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway