School Security

How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program

Paul Timm

• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9780124078734
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Cyber Security
• Index: Computer Science

It seems that every day there's a new story about a security lapse, emergency lock-down, or violent act taking place at a school somewhere in the United States. Today it's simply inexcusable not to have adequate security measures in place—regardless of how safe you think your community may be. In School Security, author Paul Timm, a nationally acclaimed school security expert, explains how to make your institution a safer place to learn with easy-to-follow steps. Throughout the book, Timm emphasizes a proactive rather than reactive approach to school security. Readers are introduced to basic loss prevention and safety concepts, including how to communicate safety information to students and staff, how to raise security awareness, and how to prepare for emergencies. The book discusses how to positively influence student behavior, lead staff training programs, and write sound security policies. An entire chapter is dedicated to describing what school security resources are available for follow-up reading and further training. School Security isn't just a book for security professionals: it helps people without formal security training—namely, educators and school administrators—effectively address school risk. - Serves as a comprehensive guide for building an effective security program at little or no cost. - Covers fundamental crime prevention concepts, making it suitable for both school security professionals and educators with no formal security training. - Addresses the risks commonly facing school administrators today, from access control to social media. - Takes a holistic approach to school security rather than focusing on a particular threat or event.

1

What Is School Security?

Abstract

This chapter answers the question, “what is school security?” It begins with a true and humorous story about what security is not. It then attempts to define school security in order to build a foundation upon which the rest of the chapters will be built.

Keywords

school security; loss prevention; school safety; students; multitasking; social media

Introduction – Security Is Not CSI

Chicago boasts two major airports—O’Hare Airport and Midway Airport. As a frequent traveler, I benefit from both an economic and a scheduling standpoint to have air travel options. I prefer Midway Airport to O’Hare Airport. Due to its smaller size, Midway experiences fewer delays and cancellations. On the other hand, Midway’s airlines do not offer flights to as many places as O’Hare. I encountered that reality after being asked to provide a security seminar for a school district in West Virginia a couple of years ago. The only direct flight to my destination was through O’Hare. When I arrived at the airport in the late afternoon on the day before the seminar, weather reports were calling for severe thunderstorms. Shortly before boarding the plane, O’Hare’s public address system announced that the National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for the airport vicinity. Although we did not have to wait in the designated tornado shelter area much longer than 60 minutes before the warning was lifted, all flights in and out of the airport that evening were cancelled. I called the school district contact in West Virginia and informed him that I had been rebooked for the first flight the next morning. Any delay to that flight could result in a late arrival to my own seminar. Not surprisingly, the flight the next morning was indeed delayed. In fact, by the time I actually walked into the auditorium filled with hundreds of staff members, I was 15 minutes late.

I rushed into the auditorium with my own laptop and began to set up the PowerPoint presentation. With all eyes upon me, that few minutes of pushing buttons, plugging cords, and syncing systems began to feel like an eternity. In the midst of my panicked efforts, one of the teachers in the audience approached me with the hope of engaging me in a conversation. As you can imagine, I was not feeling very talkative at that moment. Her part of the dialogue went something like this: “Oh, Mr. Timm, I’m so glad to have you here to speak on this topic. Our district has lots of security problems. I’ve been telling them what to do, and, even though I know more about security than anyone else in the county, no one will listen to me. So, maybe they’ll listen to somebody from the outside.” My part of the dialogue consisted mostly of preoccupied head nods and saying “uh huh”. Pretty soon, my lack of participation frustrated her to the point that she finally demanded, “Mr. Timm, don’t you want to know why I know more about security than anyone else in the county?!?” Now, quite frankly, at that moment I was not very interested to know, but I diplomatically invited her to tell me anyway. Without hesitation, she stated, “Because I’ve never missed an episode of CSI!” That true story illustrates the fact that many stakeholders involved in the school security discussion may not have an accurate frame of reference, understanding, or concept of school security.

Security is also not…

People can have the wrong idea about the meaning of security. In addition to the humorous introductory example, I have encountered several other vantage points that miss the mark to varying degrees. The following groups demonstrate additional misconceptions regarding school security.

The Safety Activists

Safety activists tend to possess strong personalities and persuasively advocate for oversimplified beliefs. They make assertions such as “All school security problems are the result of mental health issues” and “Schools would be safe if staff members had the right to carry firearms.” Typically well intentioned, these stakeholders want their ideas adopted now. While there is definitely a place for personal beliefs to be shared and discussed, an effective security program depends on knowledge, collaboration, accountability, and prudence. If strong opinions alone lead the decision making process, the result will be a security program that is—at best—less than comprehensive or—at worst—ineffective.

The Security Relativists

Security relativists have seen or heard about security measures adopted by other entities and assume those measures must be universally effective. They make confident declarations, such as “District X decided to mandate student uniforms, so we should adopt the same practice” or “Airports use metal detectors on everyone; schools should use them too.” Security relativists can also wield strong personalities and frequently want immediate action. Do not yield to this kind of pressure. Specific applications and circumstances determine the effectiveness of security measures and practices. Research and implement best-practice solutions conducive to your needs. Collaborate with nearby districts and related entities, but make your own determinations on how to reduce risk and prepare for emergencies. If granted permission to lead the charge, security relativists can blaze a trail toward financial and operational regrets.

The Quick-Fixers

Beware of persons possessing a reactive mentality that demands “quick fix” solutions such as cameras, metal detectors, or bullet-resistant glass. These quick-fixers want something tangible implemented now, no matter the cost. But haste can lead to buyer’s remorse. It is important to understand that effective school security is never accomplished through product-driven solutions alone. The value of security products and systems is determined by people and practices. In fact, products and systems play a complementary role to the real star of the show: people-driven solutions. Do not buckle under pressure. Maintain a course that is comprehensive and collaborative.

The Officer Advocates

Officer advocates believe that school security rests solely on the shoulders of local police, a school resource officer, in-house safety monitors, or contract security personnel. This group wants to place exclusive responsibility for providing a safe learning environment on those assigned to that task. Police/security officers, however, cannot be omnipresent and often operate in a responsive or reactive mode. When an alarm sounds after a break-in, for instance, officers are dispatched to investigate the scene. Without slighting the importance of police/security officer activities or disputing their primary involvement in school security matters, an effective security program depends on a school-wide culture of awareness and ownership. Routinely express appreciation for the efforts of officers, but do not imagine that they can successfully carry the security program without the assistance of others.

The Crisis Confused

The crisis confused have adopted the mistaken notion that the term “school security” refers to possessing an emergency plan. Members of this crisis confused club might have helped in the development of emergency procedures or participated in crisis team meetings. To continue underscoring the importance of a preventative approach, however, it should be noted that a crisis management plan is not a security plan. Most states require schools to maintain a crisis management plan comprised of written emergency procedures. These procedures can greatly assist in mitigating or lessening the impact of crises. In fact, chapter 7 of this book (“Managing Emergencies”) details ways to significantly enhance the emergency preparedness component of your security program. But emergency plans alone do not sufficiently address the protection of students and staff. The following chapters will demonstrate a comprehensive approach to school security that relies on contributions from proactive components such as violence prevention programming and staff training.

The Past Performers

Past performers believe that yesterday’s school security solutions also apply today. They will utter phrases such as, “We used to make the boy that started the fight wear a pink shirt in school all day” and “After a theft, we would require all the students to stay after school until someone confessed or snitched on the thief.” While some crime prevention principles are timeless, today’s school security issues cannot be oversimplified. Past performers can also romanticize historical tactics as being more effective than they were. Instead, school administrators should seek collaborative, evaluation-based solutions. Some of the most effective solutions will be recommended by those that have no knowledge of the past—students!

Security Is Loss Prevention

Security is loss prevention. How can we protect (i.e., prevent harm to) students, staff and visitors? The purpose of this book is to establish a clear foundation for school security and build on that loss prevention foundation with appropriate measures and practical strategies. There will also be a section devoted to helpful resources.

The term “loss prevention” is most often associated with the retail sales industry. Retail companies attempt to preserve profits by reducing preventable losses. Preventable losses include theft, vandalism, and other criminal behaviors. “Four elements are necessary for a successful loss prevention plan: 1) Total support from top management, 2) A positive employee attitude, 3) Maximum use of all available resources, 4) A system which establishes both responsibility and accountability for loss prevention through evaluations that are consistent and progressive.”¹ Effective school security also depends on those four elements, as well as some additional components. Chapter 2 (“How Safe is Your School?”) will provide a more detailed view of loss prevention as it applies to the school arena.

As a means of whetting your appetite for the upcoming chapters, please take the following security “pop quiz.” Once completed, consider asking staff members to do the same.

1. What is your primary means of emergency communication?

2. Excluding code-driven requirements such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), what emergency supplies does your school have?

3. How many registered sex offenders live in the community surrounding your school?

4. What is an ICS structure?

5. What are the main tenets of your documented dating violence policy?

6. Outside of the classroom or school building, how do teachers and staff correspond with students?

7. Which exterior door in your school is most often propped open?

8. What does your documented social media practice address?

9. What is the most important security product?

10. How effective is your bullying prevention program?

Answer key:

1. Acceptable answers include landline telephones, two-way radios, and intercom systems. Interestingly enough, cellular phones are probably not an acceptable answer. Most staff members feel so attached to personal cellular phones that they assume these devices would be the best option in an emergency. Cellular phones, however, have numerous potential drawbacks: phones may not be powered on, signal strength may be poor, batteries might not be adequately charged, etc. Even if none of those issues occur in an emergency situation, phones must be unlocked, individual numbers must be dialed, and calls must be answered by another individual. Contrast the functionality of a cellular phone with that of the best answer—a two-way radio. These devices offer one-button, instant communication with a number of individuals who are already in the vicinity. Because it can be impractical to provide all staff members with two-way radios, other acceptable answers include landline telephones and the intercom system call buttons.

2. Emergency supplies consist of those items that may be essential during an incident that results in an evacuation or extended shelter-in-place. Specific items include flashlights, Mylar blankets, and drinking water. Some schools refer to the bundling of these supplies in one container as “Go Kits” or “Emergency Backpacks.” Consider the quantity of supplies that will be sufficient and determine where the kits or backpacks will be kept. Obviously, an emergency supply container that is kept in one location presents a level of risk that containers kept in multiple locations effectively reduces.

3. Even though sex offender laws vary from state to state, most dangerous levels of offenders are legally prohibited from accessing school grounds without predetermined restrictions. Since security personnel alone may not be sufficient to identify a registered offender, consider posting your state’s registry in a staff-only or intranet section of the school website. Registries typically provide names, addresses, photos, and types of offenses committed. As an alternative to state registries, one of the more helpful nationwide registries is http://familywatchdog.us/.

4. ICS in an acronym for Incident Command System. The ICS structure is a basic component of the National Incident Management...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• About the Author
• Acknowledgments
• 1. What Is School Security?
• 2. How Safe Is Your School?
• 3. Developing a Plan
• 4. Securing Your Environment
• 5. Influencing Behavior
• 6. Preparing Your People
• 7. Managing Emergencies
• 8. Tackling Social Media Risks
• 9. School Security Resources and Conclusion
• Index