INDUSTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION--School Security

INDUSTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION


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Some districts have taken the position that schools will be automatically evacuated in the event of a bomb threat. This is not the correct approach in schools--or for that matter in any work environment. A decision regarding evacuation should always be made based on the information known and therefore it is imperative that persons who would be in a position to take such a call have the knowledge and ability to properly handle the caller. Assuming that access control at a school is reasonable and the threat is not a hoax, it is probable the explosive device would be placed near the building perimeter. Thus, a well-meaning evacuation could have the effect of moving students from areas of relative safety through the high risk blast zone. Obviously, it is beneficial to have caller identification capabilities on telephone systems where this is possible.

Another policy which should be reviewed is any procedure regarding property access by suspended students. While some districts bar suspended students from the buildings, they fail to extend this prohibition to the campuses and property. Especially in situations where suspension involved illegal substances or violence, this allowable property access can provide risk to students while preventing police from initiating trespass charges.

Some districts engage in what is often termed "mainstreaming". These programs integrate youths with a predictable potential for violence, disruption and similar problems into regular classroom programs with run-of-the-mill students who do not have any known problems. While, perhaps, politically correct in today's atmosphere, experiments in social engineering of this nature are unrealistic, present an obvious hazard to students who have no problems, and would seem unfair to the more challenged youths, since regular teaching staff would not be adequately trained in handling their special needs.

Security Awareness

The single most effective component of any security program is the countermeasure which costs nothing--a high level of security awareness on the part of all employees. However, teachers often comprise the hardest group to sell on the benefits of accepting a responsible role in security. In some cases, their attitude may be that personally approaching--or even reporting--an unknown person in the school is not their job. Some teachers, however, seem to live in their own abstract worlds and fail to recognize the risks that exist today in the real world. If a school principal has a cavalier attitude toward security, this has a significant negative impact on the teachers and staff. The most effective way to increase the level of security awareness among teachers and staff is to ensure that principals actively promote good security and strongly support those who take proper actions, while refusing to allow anyone to circumvent security controls for the sake of convenience.

Staff Identification

Unlike large businesses, the number of adults employed in most schools is typically quite low and staff is normally able to identify all other employees (and often all students) by personal recognition. Therefore, in most cases, consistent enforced wearer identification by staff is not necessary. However, wearer identification should be required for all authorized visitors, both adults and unaccompanied minors. When this is a consistent policy, it is an easy matter for teachers and staff to readily identify (and approach or report) intruders or unauthorized persons observed in the building.