The Niles Police Department has released the following statement, indicating they intend to perform a safety audit of schools in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. school shootings Dec. 14.

The Niles Police Department's primary mission is the protection of the public wherever they may be in the Village of Niles.

It is with this primary mission in mind that after the incident in Newtown Connecticut that the Niles Police Department stepped up visible patrols around schools that were still in session prior to the holiday break. Additionally, the Niles Police Department will conduct an audit of security procedures currently in place in all Niles schools. The audits will look at current security procedures, physical security enhancements and facility hardening.

As students return to school on January 7^th, the Niles Police Department plans to include stepped up patrols around schools throughout the Village of Niles. These patrols will involve both marked and unmarked police vehicles. 

We would like to reiterate that there is no known threat to schools, students or staff involving any schools in the Village of Niles. 

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