Southland Gaming & Racing donates $65,000 to West Memphis School District

Southland Gaming & Racing donates $65,000 to West Memphis School District

Funds will be used for the installation of SkyCop surveillance systems at all district schools

Southland Gaming & Racing

Southland Gaming & Racing is donating $65,000 for the installation of ten “Sky-Cop” cameras to the West Memphis School District in West Memphis, AR. The cameras will cover the six elementary schools, three junior high schools and one high school in the West Memphis School District.

The cameras should be installed in the next few months.

The check presentation was made Monday at Weaver Elementary School. David Wolf, President and General Manager of Southland Gaming & Racing said, “This partnership with the West Memphis Police Department and West Memphis School district could not come at a more crucial time, aligning Southland's resources with student, teacher and community safety. We are pleased to provide this generous donation to benefit the entire city of West Memphis.”

West Memphis School officials said they'd been talking all summer with police about how to defend their schools against potential mass shootings. “Nationwide that's pretty much dominated the topic board for most public schools all summer. In the state of Arkansas, it's no different,' Superintendent Jon Collins said. “We decided it would be beneficial to implement a SkyCop program at each of the West Memphis schools for the upcoming year,' WMPD Capt. Joe Baker said.

Captain Baker said the department has seen a reduction in crime within the last year in areas where Sky-Cop cameras are located.

He's hoping the same will be true for local schools.

'So even at an elementary school campus where we have nothing going on, just the fact that it's there and the deterrent effect we've seen in other places, we think it'll mimic that on a school campus,” Captain Baker said.

The expense of the Sky-Cop cameras was above and beyond the West Memphis School District's budget so Superintendent Jon Collins and WMPD Capt. Joe Baker reached out to Southland Gaming in July requesting the funding of the cameras. The donation request was approved and within three weeks the district was able to order the cameras. Once the cameras are installed, the West Memphis School District will be the only school district in Arkansas and the Mid-South with complete coverage at all its schools.

About Southland Park Gaming & Racing

Southland Gaming & Racing has been a major racing venue for more than 60 years and has over 2,000 electronic games of skill — including video poker and blackjack — as well as the World Market Buffet, Bourbon St. Steakhouse, Sammy Hagar's Red Rocker Bar & Grill and the Starting Gate Event Center. Southland Gaming has long been a pivotal fixture of the West Memphis community, strongly supporting the community with jobs, business stability, and economic contributions. It has consistently won awards for its outstanding community service, including millions of dollars donated to neighborhood charities and educational institutions.

Southland Park is owned and operated by Delaware North Gaming & Entertainment. More information is available at www.southlandpark. com.

From Natalie Carlson