New CMS police chief sits down with WCCB Charlotte after being sworn in

CHARLOTTE, NC — Transparency and improved communication, that’s what the CMS police chief plans to bring to his new department.

It’s been two days since Jonathan Thomas was sworn in as the new Chief of Police for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

“I could have happily retired, but I still felt that I had work to do and what better job than protecting students and teachers,” explained Thomas.

Thomas started his law enforcement career in 1998 at CMPD taking on several roles, including emergency management. A position that could likely come in handy when planning for active shooter situations.

“Something as simple as making sure all of your doors are locked. We have systems in place where you must be screened to go into the schools. You must sign in. You must do that. So we have single point of entry that’s easier to secure,” Thomas said.

Active shooter or false alarms, Thomas believes communication with parents can be improved when it comes to possible incidents on campus.

“What we’ve done this year, we’ve sent out messaging. Hey, there was an incident at the school today where a threat was given. It might be a serious threat, or it might be something that some people would consider small, but not everyone,” Thomas told WCCB Charlotte’s Gary Brode.

More transparency is what parents at Palisades High School were calling for last month after someone fired a shot on campus. Thomas says police quickly arrested the suspect. However, rumors swirled about the shooter being a student.

“If I give too much information and somebody is able to identify the person on their own, CMS is liable. I can say that the suspect was caught,” Thomas said after being asked why he can’t clarify if the shooter was a student.

Thomas is now in charge of 25 CMS officers.