PAMLICO, N.C. (WITN) – In the wake of recent gun-related encounters at schools across the country, school systems, and lawmakers continue to focus on improving school security.

North Carolina 3rd District Republican Congressman Greg Murphy visited schools in parts of the east Wednesday to view classroom operations and discuss ways to improve school safety.

Pamlico County Schools recently received a county grant for $152,000 to add school resource officers at every school throughout the school system.

Murphy spoke with culinary arts and junior ROTC classes at Pamlico County High School about the task of protecting the educational process of the future.

With recent school shootings and guns found in schools throughout the country, Murphy and Pamlico County Schools Superintendent Lisa Jackson prioritized safety, placing it at the forefront of the conversation.

“The number one responsibility of educators is to protect our children and provide an environment that’s safe. Sane people do not go in and kill innocent people whether it be in children or in college campuses it’s a mental health issue before anything else. I own a gun and I have it for personal protection and other individuals the same thing for shooting especially and hunting and everything here in eastern North Carolina. The sad thing is and the challenge is how do we keep the guns out of bad people’s hands,” said Murphy.

Superintendent Jackson says the school system added an SRO at Pamlico County Middle School before receiving the grant.

Representative Murphy also attended Pamlico Community College and Jones Senior High School in Jones County.