What Are the Best Ways to Keep Our Schools Safe?
School safety has come under intense scrutiny lately, with the rise of many horrifying
school shootings. Suggestions abound- Arm the teachers! Increase mental health services!
Strengthen gun laws to regulate gun access! Parents, students, and teachers are rightly
demanding that schools return to being places of learning and sanctuary in their communities.
Many options are being examined, but schools need immediate actions right now to keep their
campuses safe.
So what are the proven ways to keep students and staff safe?
There are certain basic security factors that need to be implemented in all schools:
1. There should be CCTV (closed circuit) monitoring of the school premises.2. School buses need to be equipped with GPS so parents and school management can
track children’s travels. CCTV cameras need to be installed on board buses for extra
safety as well.
3. All staff- including non-teaching staff- need thorough verification before hiring.
4. Visitors need to be monitored carefully by staff or security personnel when entering
or leaving (including verifying that only those people authorized with the school are
allowed to pick up students).
5. There should be attendants in the washrooms for safety monitoring, and school
management should have separate washrooms as well.
6. Empty or unused classrooms should be locked at all times. No child should ever be
alone with any male staff.
7. There should be regular workshops and training in place to inform students, parents,
and teachers of safety protocols, how to spot events even before they happen, and
what specific actions to take should various situations arise (Patil, 2019).
These are the minimum basics of school safety that a school can put into place. However,
there is one final key ingredient needed to achieve maximum school safety.
What is the Final Key to the Highest Security?
The final key to a successful school security program is having well-trained security
officers stationed at the schools.
School resource officers (SROs) who are sworn police officers, OR security officers
(SSOs) from a private company, can be implemented specifically at any school community:
1. Security officers can monitor access points to the campus, and verify who comes and
goes.
2. Security personnel can orchestrate pedestrian and traffic safety as well as control
school access.
3. Security personnel can monitor CCTV/bus cameras which exponentially increases
proactive school safety.
4. Security officers of either type may be armed or unarmed, as there is still ongoing
controversy surrounding the use of armed security guards at schools.
The work of any type of security officer can be customized to meet the school and
community’s demands. Some schools have even utilized private security workers as
paraprofessionals in special education classrooms, fostering student relationships and morale.
Private security companies such as ASAP Security must undergo whatever rigorous
training is needed to enhance school safety to their client’s demands. In California, for instance,
there is a mandated curriculum for any school security officers (https://www.bsis.ca.gov/
industries/syllabus.shtml.) A professional security company such as ASAP Security would be
specifically trained school security officers (SSOs) that would achieve the safety plan the client
school establishes.
Ongoing Debates
In light of the many recent violent campus events, the community consensus seems
to be that security personnel are indeed vitally needed to maintain school safety. Still there
is ongoing debate amongst the school security industry on how to best use security officers at
schools. School communities differ on what type of school security officers they want, and how
they should be used. Should schools utilize private security officers (SSOs) or police security
officers (SROs)? Or some combination thereof? And should the guards be armed or
unarmed? These are the questions that must be resolved to implement each school campus’ best
safety plans. This is where a professional security company such as ASAP Security would play a
key role, and could be the most effective and affordable security for a school community.
School Security Officers (SSOs) or School Resource Officers (SROs)??
School Security Officers (SSOs) are private security workers from security companies
(such as ASAP Security). School Resource Officers (SROs) are sworn police officers,
members of the local police department, in police uniform, usually armed. Some school districts
have opted to move police officers out of their schools, fearing the backlash from police violence
issues (Goldstein, 2021). Those schools opt instead for private trained security officers (SSOs),
trained in laws and liabilities, student behavior dynamics, conflict resolution, with special
emphasis on de-escalation techniques. SSOs do not have the same stigma as police officers but
can still provide most of the security functions necessary for school safety.
Schools must also decide if they want armed or unarmed SSOs or SROs in their school.
Using armed guards can increase the feeling of security on campus and can deter unwanted
activity. However, the use of armed security guards- either SSOs or SROs- raises concerns about
detrimental affects on morale, or if having weapons truly does prevent school violence.
Statistically it is shown that the likelihood of someone being injured when an armed guard is
present is 4 times higher. (Joffe, 2022)
If armed guards are used, can lethal force mean a gun, or a taser, or pepper spray
instead? These are variables that any school must address. As stated previously, concerns with
having armed SROs on campus have risen in the light of police violence issues. Some schools
have also decided against using armed police officers for their school safety plans, desiring to
maintain a less-charged atmosphere on their campuses. Uniformed armed police on a campus
may yield unwanted impact, especially on minority students. In addition, how the SROs are paid
can be a complicated and political issue- while there are federal grants and funding available for
SROs, there are still arguments over expenses coming out of the school systems budgets as well
(Starr, 2018).
“For all the benefits of having armed officers in schools, things can and often do go wrong,
too.” Joshua P. Starr, former school superintendent
A professional security company such as ASAP Security can help a school establish the
exact safety protocols that the school staff and community desires. SSOs from ASAP Security
will work with the school client and tailor security plans to whatever the school community
decides works. It will be the best security plan, at the most affordable price.
ASAP Security has been a trusted security business to the San Diego and surrounding
areas, protecting businesses, gated communities, malls, banks, special events, and providing
personal security for VIPs. Our professionally trained security force is background checked and
vetted, many of them with experience in the military or police as well.
ASAP Security can put vehicle patrols, mobile bike patrols or foot patrols to secure your
school. ASAP Security will keep property boundaries secure, check who enters or leaves the
premises, and monitor CCTV cameras for problems. ASAP Security offers trained armed or
unarmed protection, scheduled or unscheduled patrols- even 24/7, day or night, weekends or
holidays. ASAP Security will provide positive community interactions to employees and
students, and establish a reassuring and orderly safety presence on any school campus.
ASAP Security guards and staff will provide responsive customer service to your
school community. Just take a look at our website, or send questions to
info@asapsecurity.org. Read some informative customer testimonials from our satisfied
customers.
Let ASAP Security provide their best professional agents for your San Diego area school or
campus- armed or unarmed, uniformed or undercover, in vehicles, on bicycles, or on foot.
We are available night or day, with 24/7 service.
Get your best safety plan for the best price. Call 833-272-7247, email info@asapsecurity.org,
or get a quick price quote now.