ALBANY, GA --
A new parents watchdog group has been formed in Dougherty County with an eye for change.

Parents Requiring Excellence in our School System (P.R.E.S.S) was formed to help bring parental concerns to the Dougherty County School Board.

PRESS held their first press conference Thursday morning at the Gifted Education & L.I.F.E. Lab Center on Corn Avenue.

The conference was called to express concern about the safety of the school in light of crime rates in the area.

The Co-Founder of PRESS, Josh Pollock, had this to say about the neighborhood the Gifted Education & L.I.F.E. Lab Center is located in, "I'm tired of turning on the media or opening up the media and seeing this neighborhood in there, with drug bust, with SWAT Teams you know we got someone barricaded in, with attempted kidnapping."

Superintendent Dr. Joshua Murfree released a statement responding to the groups concern saying he has “listened to concerned parents and community members and would like to assure all that safety for our students across the system is a primary concern.”  The complete statement can be read here.