PEABODY – Peabody School Committee members may be the first to start a regional trend if they decide to cease the use of elementary schools as election polling locations.After hearing the expert advice of Peab-ody Police Chief Robert Champagne, the board decided Tuesday night to organize a special committee whose sole purpose would be resolving the numerous safety concerns originally raised by committee member Brandi Carpenter last February.Carpenter’s concerns came in light of the Randolph tragedy involving an 86-year-old man who struck and pinned a young girl under his car while on his way to cast his vote during the Presidential Primary. The girl was placed in intensive care, but has since recovered, according to Carpenter, who spoke with representatives from Randolph Schools shortly after the incident.Carpenter began thinking about her own experiences voting in Peabody and didn’t like what she saw. She noted cars parked in fire lanes, people driving against the normal traffic pattern of the school, and strangers coming and going without the need to sign in.”I didn’t bring this up before, but there are pedophiles (voting) who aren’t supposed to be within certain amount of feet of children,” said Carpenter Tuesday night, not hiding her distaste on the matter.Champagne said that although it may not seem so, “the schools are never safer than on (election days)” because there’s an officer on duty all day at every location. However, if the presence of more officers is what the Committee feels they need to improve the students’ overall safety, he said his department is more than willing to do supply them.”All the concerns fall into the idea of planning,” said Champagne, who said that kinks in traffic and parking could potentially be worked out with a little extra planning ahead. In terms of child predators entering school grounds to vote, the department could help with that, too.”Pedophiles, like it or not, have the right to vote,” he said. He later tossed out the idea of encouraging sex offenders to vote via an absentee ballot.”We might be willing to escort them in and out if they make the arrangements to do so, but I don’t think we can force it,” he told the board.His answer didn’t settle to well with Carpenter.”As a mother of three, I still don’t like it,” she said, expressing her passion for her cause. “I’d need a lot of officers to make me feel happy that day or else my kids aren’t going (to school.)Superintendent Milton Burnett offered his suggestions for an immediate modification, as he believes the reality to eliminate the use of elementary schools for the upcoming Presidential election isn’t likely.After speaking with school principals, he, too, suggested an increase in police presence, as well as traffic signage, limiting entrances to polls, placing alarms on any door not designated for polling use, setting up rope guides, and requiring staff to park in the rear of the school to free up spaces. He also brought up the idea of not holding school on Election Day, or perhaps using an early release day instead.”I’m willing to look at it,” Burnett told the Committee, noting that other communities are tossing the idea around, as well.Committee member Ed Nizwantowski had some ideas of his own.”(Voting) doesn’t have to be at a school,” he said, referencing the 55 public buildings throughout the city that he believes could be simple substitutes. He pushed the Committee to research the use of other public buildings within the same areas of Peabody’s four elementary schools currently used for voting: Burke, South, Welch, and West Memorial.”Things could be improved with some effort,” said Bonfanti. “We need to think it through and do it right.”Bonfanti said he himself will organize a special committee as soon as possible consisting of police traffic and school experts, City Clerk Tim Spanos, school administration, principals, and Carpenter to look into alternative polling locations and plans.