For Dick Downey, it isn’t enough to deplore the recent school shootings in Marshall County and Parkland, Fla. The retired attorney and former Warren Circuit Family Court judge is taking action to see that it doesn’t happen in his hometown.

Downey, a 1969 graduate of Franklin-Simpson High School, wrote a check for $10,000 and presented it to Simpson County Schools Superintendent Jim Flynn on Thursday as a step toward helping the school system improve safety.

“The shooting in Benton (Marshall County) bothered me,” Downey said. “Then the massive shooting in Florida bothered me. I don’t believe we should ever depend on government to do everything for us. This is a way for citizens to get involved.”

Downey said attending last week’s school safety forum at Franklin-Simpson High School prompted him and his wife, Cindy, to take action.

“It was an impressive turnout,” Downey said of the meeting attended by about 200 Simpson County residents. “It shows that the people in Franklin are genuinely interested in the safety of the schools.”

He’s confident that many of those residents will join him in helping pay for efforts to make Simpson County’s schools safer. “I think other people will jump right in there,” he said.

Creating a fund that Flynn and the Simpson County Schools administration can use to improve school safety is, for Downey, a move away from depending on state and federal officials to address local problems.

“The money will be placed in a separate account and used only for safety initiatives,” Downey said. “Local people are better at addressing local issues.”

Downey already has support from some quarters of the Franklin business community. Ann Jackson, vice president of Hunt Ford, said she and dealership principal owner, John Hunt, have discussed how they can help.

“We haven’t decided on an amount yet, but we definitely want to contribute,” Jackson said. “Simpson County Schools are doing a great job already with what they have available, but the entrance to the high school needs an additional layer of security, and maybe there’s a need for another resource officer. It’s going to take community support to increase security.”

Jackson, a product of Simpson County Schools, has two children in the school system.

“I’m definitely invested in Simpson County Schools,” she said.

Jackson calls Downey’s efforts “grass-roots funding” and believes others in the Franklin business community will get involved.

Alex Downing, president of Franklin Bank & Trust, is on board with the idea.

“We have a great deal of interest in supporting Simpson County Schools,” he said. “I think addressing these needs at the local level is important.”

Downing isn’t yet sure about the amount, but he said his bank will support funding an account established by local residents and administered by the school system’s leadership to improve school safety.

“We will certainly have an interest in plans for funding school safety efforts,” he said. “We have a great deal of confidence in the school system officials to prioritize use of the funds to ensure the safety of students.”

– Follow business reporter Don Sergent on Twitter @BGDNbusiness or visit bgdailynews.com.