When students in Fountain Hills return to school on Monday, Aug. 5, they will be under the watchful eyes of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Posse once again.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio said he will be mobilizing the volunteer posse just as was done for several months at the end of last school year.

The posse was brought in to offer additional security following the Sandy Hook School shootings in Newtown, Conn. last December.

The posse members will not be going on school campuses unless it becomes necessary due to a threat. They will be in marked patrol cars circulating on the streets around school perimeters.

“If something happens they will be ready to go in,” Arpaio said. “It is a deterrent to be on patrol outside before the bad guys get in.

“We feel this is the right thing to do.”

Arpaio also noted that last spring his detectives investigated separate incidents and arrested three people for allegedly making serious threats to school property and students.

In the spring the posse covered 70 to 80 schools, according to Arpaio, including those in Fountain Hills.

“There has not been much action in talking about this around the country,” Arpaio said. “When I started the School Posse program, it was hard on the heels of those tragic shootings in Connecticut,” says Arpaio. “While there may be some opposition to continuing this project, sending the posse back to our schools is the right thing to do. I cannot in good conscience discontinue this program.”

Arpaio said another training session was held this past weekend, however, that training did not take place in Fountain Hills.

In February posse members were trained during a day-long session at the closed Four Peaks School site in Fountain Hills. Actor/martial arts expert Steven Segal took part in that training, which drew nationwide media attention.

There were also protestors present who were circulating Arpaio recall petitions at the time. That recall effort has since fizzled due to lack of signatures prior to the deadline.

Arpaio said he did not want the same controversy to surround the activity so training was held July 27, at Queen Creek High School. There were no protesters.