School Security - What More Needs to be Done?
By Jay Hodes
It is regrettable that another school year began with the news of a potential school shooting massacre in the greater Atlanta area. In this case, a brave, heroic school bookkeeper made all the difference. Media reports indicated the bookkeeper engaged the gunman in a dialogue in an attempt to distract him from the children attending the school. Even though shots were fired by the gunman, nobody was killed or injured.
So once again the debate resurfaces as to whether more school security is needed, stricter gun control is necessary or there is a need for increased mental health services. Many polls have been conducted to gauge what changes parents, school administrators, and mental health experts should contemplate.
In the August 21, 2013 online version of the Christian Science Monitor, a portion of the article written by Patrick Jonsson covered the topic. Jonsson wrote “A Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll released Wednesday asked 1,001 Americans, including public school parents, about how to secure US schools. Fifty-nine percent of Americans said providing more mental health services will make schools safer, while 39 percent said hiring more armed guards would be most effective. The poll found that 88 percent of public school parents don’t fear for their children’s safety while they’re in school, and a majority say they’re more concerned about fellow students than attacks by strangers on schools”.
By now all schools should have conducted a thorough security assessment and implemented necessary changes. Although the topic of school security is complex, the advice is simple. Have a security and evacuation plan, practice the plan, and update the plan.
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About the Author
| Jay Hodes, Colington Security Consulting
P.O. Box 10391
Burke, VA 22009
800-733-6379
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