Schools across the country, from Seattle to Tampa Bay, are increasing their safety and security presence to keep kids safe on campus. Two cities in particular have been in the news lately for extra measures they’ve taken to keep educators and children safe.
In Plano, Texas, the school district has decided to implement mobile panic buttons for use in elementary and early childhood schools. Many Plano schools already have a panic button installed near the entrance to the school, but these would be different. As mobile devices, the panic buttons would be available to educators wherever needed. The buttons will transmit a signal to school officials and a 911 emergency operator with the location of the person who pressed the button.
Starting this fall in Atlanta, Georgia, every middle and high school will be patrolled by a member of the Atlanta Police Department. The goal is that officers will build rapport with students and be able to identify and diffuse problems before they become criminal matters. Fifty-five officers have been assigned to the campus beat and will be patrolling 30 schools this year. Before they begin, every office will need to go through specific training for how to work with students.
Soon after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newton, people began to take more of an aggressive stance on physical safety in schools. Many people discussed the advantages and disadvantages of security guards, both armed and unarmed. At Curtis Protective Services, we believe security guards are an effective way to deter criminal activities, both at commercial and community locations. But are a shopping mall and a classroom in similar need of protective services? Do guards belong in schools? What do you think?
