Draper Mayor Troy Walker, Canyon School District Public Engagement Coordinator Susan Edwards and Master Officer Adam Neff discussed school-safety measures on the Draper City Talk podcast, focusing on training, reporting and everyday risks such as driver behavior and scooters.

The officials said the district and Draper Police prioritize preventing and responding to violent incidents while also addressing day-to-day safety: social-media monitoring, crossing guards, safe walking routes, bus-stop enforcement and rules for electric bikes and scooters.

“Security is our number 1 focus,” Master Officer Adam Neff, a school resource officer assigned to Draper Park Middle School, said on the program, describing police training inside school buildings and participation in Department of Public Safety simulations. Neff said SRO duties include building familiarity, safety education and running programs such as D.A.R.E. at elementary schools.

Susan Edwards, public engagement coordinator for Canyon School District, said the state has tightened school-security requirements in recent years but “not much funding” has followed. “School security and keeping kids and our staff safe has always been the number 1 priority,” Edwards said, and she described the district’s efforts to work with local law enforcement and school community councils on safety and walking-route plans.

The guests described three tiers of preparation:

- Law enforcement training and response: Neff said Draper Police train in school buildings so officers know layouts and can respond quickly. The department also participates in firearms and tactical simulations at the state Department of Public Safety range.

- In-school measures and volunteers: Edwards said Canyon schools use a district-wide volunteer “Guardian” program made up of school employees who have volunteered to be trained by police to respond in an active-shooter situation. Edwards said the district would prefer to staff those roles with POST-certified officers if budget and staffing permit, but that currently the guardians are employees who volunteer and receive law-enforcement training.

- Reporting and prevention: Edwards urged families and students to report threats, even when they appear false. “Report it… or go to SafeUT and you can always report there anything,” she said, referring to the statewide student-reporting system that routes tips to schools and law enforcement.

The conversation also covered non-shooter safety issues that officials said produce frequent complaints and real risk:

- Driving and crossing-guard safety: Mayor Walker and Neff urged drivers to obey school-zone speed limits, put phones away and be patient during drop-off and pick-up. Draper provides crossing guards at key locations, and Edwards said school community councils — required to include a parent majority — help identify needed crosswalks and crossing-guard posts.

- Bus stop enforcement: Neff and Edwards said many school buses have cameras and the city follows up on motorists who pass buses when the stop arm is deployed. “If it stops and the stop arm is out, it is a stop sign,” Neff said.

- Walking routes and student distances: Edwards said the district’s walking-boundary guidance is 1.5 miles for K–5 students and 2 miles for middle-school students. She said the district posts static safe-route maps on each school’s website; a state-hosted interactive site has been unreliable.

- E-bikes, scooters and trails: The mayor and Neff distinguished class‑regulated e-bikes (class 1–3) from higher‑powered throttle vehicles and small electric motorcycles, which the officials said are not legal on public roads or trails without appropriate licensing. The city is drafting an ordinance to address “fat tire” and throttle scooters; police enforcement is driven largely by citizen complaints, they said. Officials reminded riders that the paved-trail speed limit is 15 mph.

Officials emphasized training limits and budget constraints. Edwards said the state’s new requirements are “important” but “all of them are expensive,” and she said the district is seeking models that would allow trained, certified officers to serve those school-protection roles rather than relying on volunteers.

Speakers noted other everyday safety risks: toy or facsimile weapons and pocket knives can prompt law-enforcement responses because officers must treat reports of weapons seriously; and students’ use of social media can surface threats or signs of self-harm. Edwards and Neff asked parents to monitor students’ online activity and to use SafeUT or school staff to report concerns.

Officials also highlighted district services beyond safety: Edwards said Canyon District offers programs for students with special needs, an adult‑education high school and services for students experiencing homelessness; she told listeners the district serves “about 2,200 homeless kids in Canyons at any given time.”

The discussion closed with officials urging parents and residents to “look out for each other” — report threats, obey traffic and bus-stop rules, use safe walking routes and ensure helmets for bikes and scooters where required — and with reminders that schools have counselors, student-resources and incident-response plans.

For reporting and support, officials referenced the SafeUT reporting system and advised students who feel threatened to speak with school resource officers, principals or counselors so the school and police can provide help.