Voorhees resident honored for response to help protect school
While following protocol, LaCarte was able to help contact authorities after recognizing a potential threat to the High School
The Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education publicly recognized two School Resource Officers and two Security Staff members, all assigned to Cherokee High School, at its Sept. 12 meeting.
One of those members was security assistant Bruce LaCarte, a Voorhees resident.
The school security personnel worked together, using security technology, in place and following established protocols, to swiftly identify an individual who had no connection to Cherokee High School and prevent that individual from entering the school.
After a brief conversation on the intercom with a security assistant, the individual was not allowed in to the building. LaCarte recognized the individual via security cameras as someone who had previously been removed from the school property for trespassing.
The individual was then escorted by security to a safe distance from the main entrance and the matter was handed over to the Evesham Township Police Department, which led to an arrest and the individual’s removal from the premises.
“The safety and security of our students and staff are always a paramount priority for our school and our entire district, so we wanted to recognize and thank our Security Staff and the Evesham Township Police Department for their immediate reaction to the situation,” said Cherokee High School Principal Donna Charlesworth.
LaCarte is beginning his sixth year at Cherokee High School and previously retiring from the ETPD with 29 years of law enforcement experience.