Atlanta Public Schools unveils tactical, drone security teams

The tactical team addresses threats inside school buildings.

APS police Chief Ronald Applin said the teams have trained over the summer so they can be prepared for the worst-case scenario: an active shooter on campus.

“As much as we like to not have to deal with this, it’s something we have to prepare for,” Applin said. “I’d rather work out all of the nuances, the challenges in a training exercise versus in real life.”

The tactical team drills were not for the faint of heart. Officers wore helmets with masks pulled down over their faces and were armed with handguns as they entered the building. They used pellets instead of real bullets for the exercise. Officers dodged obstacles as they barreled down the hallway responding to gunfire coming from a classroom.

“Shots fired! Shots fired!” they yelled as they ran toward the room.

They easily apprehended the suspect, who was hiding behind a table he’d flipped over. Officers took him away in handcuffs.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

APS chose the officers who serve on the tactical team. They received specialized training so they can respond during a crisis, such as an active shooter. Often, districts rely on local police departments for that, even if they have their own police force.

“You pick any other metro Atlanta police department (or) sheriff’s office, they’re going to support us, but they also have issues that they deal with, too,” Applin said. “So we always think about, ‘What would happen if we needed a tactical team and Atlanta’s team was busy doing something? … Who do we have to rely on?’”

Although neighboring Fulton County Schools has its own SWAT team trained to handle high-risk situations, Applin said the APS tactical team can serve a similar purpose and get to the scene faster.

“SWAT teams are great, but sometimes it takes time to spin them up,” he said. “But having the people on the road who are ready and trained and ready to rock ‘n’ roll, we can get them deployed right away.”

A mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder on Sept. 4, 2024, brought a renewed focus to school security across the state. Several metro Atlanta school districts, including Cobb, Atlanta and Fulton, were already using metal detectors and crisis alert systems. APS decided to increase the number of officers assigned to school campuses.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

“(Apalachee) triggered a lot of voices in the community saying, ‘Look, we want to make sure our kids are protected,’ and so … the (Atlanta) school board decided we’re going to put an officer in every school,” Applin said.

The district had officers on every middle and high school campus, but elementary schools typically shared officers. Now, every school has at least one officer.

The Apalachee High shooting also prompted the state Legislature to act. In 2025, lawmakers passed House Bill 268, which tightens security requirements for school districts. For example, districts must implement panic alert systems that notify law enforcement during a crisis. Schools also have to provide up-to-date floor plans and emergency plans to emergency response agencies. Public schools also receive roughly $68,000 per school in state grants to spend on security measures, such as cameras, officers, crisis-response training or mental health support.

APS has also installed vestibules in each school entryway, so school guests have to wait for a minute or two before being allowed through the main entrance.

“Those are protected with ballistic laminate to resist … bullets,” Applin said.

In June, APS marked the 10th anniversary of swearing in its own police force. Although that’s the model for metro Atlanta school districts, including DeKalb, Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Clayton counties, some school systems contract with local police departments to patrol schools.