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The Lowndes County Commission has been working on a personnel policy aimed to help ensure safety in county offices. On March 10, the commission voted unanimously to pass a measure it hopes may accomplish the goal by requiring specific standards for bags employees use to bring personal items to work.

The policy mandates Lowndes County employees must now use clear bookbags when bringing personal items into the workplace. Initially suggested by Lowndes County Engineer and interim Emergency Management Agency Director David Butts, the policy is a measure intended to prevent the threat of danger in county offices.

“We are trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” Butts said.

The Calhoun School recently implemented a similar policy, which inspired Butts to suggest the county consider the measure as well. Calhoun Principal Nicholas Townsend explained that recent safety concerns at sporting events led administrators to adopt a clear-bag policy. 

“With everything that is going on around us at other schools, we deemed it safer for students to have clear book bags,” Townsend said.

According to Townsend, each school may determine what types of bags are permissible on campus. Calhoun already observed a see-through-purse policy and required that a handheld purse under a certain size does not need to be clear.

“Everyone [on campus] is subject to be searched,” Townsend said. “We do a thorough search of purses when [fans] come to our athletic events.”

Calhoun’s latest policy, adopted in January, requires anyone attending athletic events observe the clear-bag policy. Fans can enter the event with one large clear bag or a one-gallon style bag plus a non-clear bag that is 4.5 by 6.5 inches or smaller.

The county’s new policy was advertised in county offices prior to adoption. According to the policy, “all employees must transition to using only clear plastic bags for transporting personal items, tools or materials to job sites. Supervisors will conduct regular checks to ensure compliance with this policy. Any non-compliant bags will be confiscated until replaced with approved clear plastic alternatives.”

A violation of the policy will be considered an offense of misconduct, a lack of cooperation subject to disciplinary action.