Abbotsford school introduces 'lockdown drill'

A school in Abbotsford has introduced a new "lockdown drill" for young students in light of recent gang violence in the city.

In the drill, teachers are instructed to lock doors, windows and any shutters, and then have students gather away from those areas and stay quiet.

Dave Stephen, a spokesman for the Abbotsford School District, said teachers introduced the drill at Prince Charles Elementary, which is located one block from a cul-de-sac where the infamous Bacon Brothers live.

According to Stephen, teaching the drill now is especially timely.

"There's a heightened awareness around security around the communities in the Lower Mainland, because incidents that have been happening on the streets in the last months," said Stephen.

"The community knows it, parents know it, students would be aware of it through their families, and they're watching in the media, so we're just responding to that."

The Bacon brothers are under constant surveillance, because police call them a major public threat. Last month, 23-year-old Jamie Bacon narrowly escaped death when he was targeted in a brazen daylight shooting at a busy Abbotsford intersection.

Parents of the young students say the drills are a welcome security measure.

"If it's about safety reasons for our children, then I'm all for it," said Jen Wilson.

Stephen is unclear just how many schools have adopted the lockdown drill, but said he hopes to roll out the drills to as many schools as possible.