TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – In recent weeks, dozens of schools in Tucson have been threatened and at least six youths were arrested.

A group of schools, Leman Academy of Excellenceunderlines its approach to increasing security on its campuses.

“I think given the current situation, our WATCH DOGS program is more important than ever,” said Tracey McCracken, Operations Manager at Leman.

The WATCHDOGSor “Fathers of Great Students”, have been patrolling Leman for more than a year.

But with the recent increase in threats to schools, fathers, uncles, grandfathers and others are volunteering more now than ever.

“You just get a warm, fuzzy feeling when you’re surrounded by all the kids you know,” says Dennis Dominguez, a WATCH DOGS member.

WATCH DOGS may be a countywide initiative for Leman, but it is a statewide program that is slowly spreading across southern Arizona.

Men can volunteer at the school to patrol the campus during school hours to ensure the safety of students and faculty.

A recent information session at Leman East Campus was attended by over 70 people, which meant a lot to McCraken.

“We are very fortunate to live in communities where parents really want to partner with us,” McCracken said. “And they want a safe environment for their students.”

McCraken said anyone interested will be screened and trained to ensure they are prepared for all possible scenarios.

For the other caretaker, Alec Castaneda, it is very important to be able to take care of his daughter’s safety.

“Leaving you somewhere and trusting that the staff or the administration is going to take care of your child is a big task,” Castaneda said. “And I think it’s great to give us a little bit of an opportunity to be a part of that in whatever capacity.”

The volunteers are on campus not only for safety reasons, McCraken said, but also to provide emotional support to students.

Eric Reiman, also a supervisor, is grateful to be able to provide peace of mind to students and teachers.

“Knowing that you can hear the kids laughing, smiling and giggling and not having to worry about the things we can take away from them,” Reiman said.

If you are interested in WATCH DOGS, you can find more information HERE.

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