Keeping schools safe is an essential, and it is something that the entire community should be concerned about, not just those who work in the school system. By banding together, members of the community, concerned parents and individuals who work for area schools can make changes happen, and they can help ensure that every school has an adequate security system.
If you are wondering what is involved in a good school security system, you aren’t alone. Although many people worry about the safety and security of schools in their local area, a lot of people don’t know what will need to be put in place in order to keep schools safe. Although there are a lot of different security systems that can be used in schools, all of the best security systems for schools have a few things in common.
Bringing up these points in a PTA meeting, school board meeting or meeting in your community can help you and others in your community to make changes in the level of security in your local schools. It is always a good idea to have statistics on hand, and you can use examples from other schools in other parts of the country when you are mentioning your concerns and talking about the security systems that you would like to see in local schools. Although it might take a bit of effort on your part and on the part of others who are concerned about schools in the area, you can see changes in your area schools if you push for them. Once you know that adequate surveillance camera systems are installed in your area schools, you can feel confident in reduced school violence and a reduced chance of a horrible tragedy occurring at the school. Not only will you feel relieved, but other concerned citizens, parents, children and educators will also all surely feel much safer once everyone knows that appropriate measures have been taken in order to secure local schools.
Includes Vigilant Adults
There are a lot of components to good school security systems, but one of the main and most important components is having adults who are vigilant and legitimately concerned about safety in the school. These adults can petition for changes in the security of local schools, and they can help implement and enforce security measures as needed.
Educators and school employees who take the safety of the students, educators and everyone else who is involved in the school system seriously can help ensure that safety rules are being followed and that surveillance cameras and other security-related equipment are being used properly in order to enforce safety and security in the school.
School resource officers can also help increase and tighten security at area schools. Many people are too afraid to commit crimes or be involved in violent acts when they know there is a school resource officer in the area, and well-trained school resource officers are also often better prepared to handle these types of situations than other adults who might be involved in the school system. By combining school resource officers will vigilant and well-trained staff, schools can help ensure a better sense of security for everyone who enters the school.
Involves Safety Instruction for Children
Along with having adults who have a vested interest in the children in the school, it is important for all of the children to know what to do in the event that something goes wrong. Many children are nervous about the school violence that they hear about in the news, and these children will feel much happier and safer if they know that safety rules have been put in place and that everyone at the school knows what to do to keep everyone safe or how to react if an emergency does happen.
Therefore, it is essential for schools to have assemblies in order to teach children important safety rules. These rules should also be outlined in a guidebook for parents to go over with their children and for children and school officials to refer to when necessary. These rules should outline what children can do in order to keep themselves and others in the school safe, and rules that have been put in place by school staff and what everyone is expected to do in the event that an act of violence occurs at the school. Although it might take a bit of gentle reminding for students to learn these rules, taking this time can help greatly to reduce school violence and make children feel more confident and safe while they are at school.
It is also important for students to know that there are consequences for students who commit acts of school violence. This isn’t a subject that should be taken lightly, and everyone who is involved in the school system should know what the rules are and the consequences that students will face if they commit acts of violence or break important safety rules. By letting all of the students know that school violence is not something that the school will take seriously, these violent acts can be greatly deterred, which can help make the school a safer place for everyone who is involved.
Has Plenty of Rules and Guidelines in Place
Rules and guidelines are essential parts of a safe school. If everyone who works at the school or who attends classes there are aware of the safety rules that they are supposed to follow, it can help keep everyone safe.
Provides Security for All Entrances to the School
One essential part of the school that should be kept as safe and secure as possible is the entrance. If a school has multiple entrances and exits, it is imperative to keep a close watch on all of them; to make things easier on school staff, parents and students can be encouraged to use specific entrances.
There are several ways that entrances and exits can be monitored and kept safe. For instance, there should be surveillance cameras near all of these doors; with surveillance cameras, school officials, faculty and school resource officers can be made aware of every individual who enters and exits the school, which can help with preventing crime, catching individuals who have committed crimes and deterring violence from happening in the first place. These cameras can also help in the event that the school gets broken into after hours.
Along with utilizing surveillance cameras, many schools keep entrances and exits locked during the day; this prevents unauthorized individuals from just entering the school whenever they want to. Individuals who need to get into the school can then be asked to press a buzzer in order to be let in; when used correctly, these systems can cut down on crime dramatically because school faculty members will have to identify individuals before they can get into the school. Requiring ID and having every guest sign in upon entering the school can also increase accountability and help prevent crimes from occurring, and this information can be incredibly helpful in the unfortunate event that someone does commit a crime or an act of violence while he or she is on school property.
Involves Plenty of Surveillance Cameras
Surveillance cameras are an imperative part of any security system, and they are especially helpful in a school setting. In fact, there are many different ways that surveillance cameras can help keep schools safe. For instance, they can be used at entrances and exits, and they can also be used to keep an eye on the parking lot, playground and other areas on the outside of the school. This can help deter bad behavior, bullying, fighting and other misbehavior from students, and it can also help authorities catch individuals who are involved in violence.
Along with using surveillance cameras at the outer perimeters of the school and at the entrances and exits, faculty members can also make a difference by monitoring surveillance cameras that are placed in the hallways, on the school buses and even in the classrooms.
Includes a Burglar Alarm
Along with watching out for school violence, educators should also be concerned about theft and vandalism; these things can cost a lot of money and cause other problems for the school system. With a burglar alarm in place, the local authorities will be contacted in the event that someone tries to enter the school when they shouldn’t, which can help cut down on crime and help law enforcement officers find individuals who commit crimes on school property after hours.
Makes Use of Metal Detectors
Metal detectors can be used in several ways in order to make schools safer. There are various types of metal detectors, but both wands that are ran over each student and overhead metal detectors that are walked through can help catch students and other individuals who try to enter schools with guns, knives and other weapons.
Many people are hesitant to use metal detectors in schools because they feel they are too costly and require too much manpower. Others think that they make it too much of a hassle for students, parents and faculty members to get into the school. However, you can never be too safe when it comes to keeping schools safe from acts of violence, and metal detectors can be highly effective when used for this purpose.
Even if you don’t think metal detectors are a necessity for students, it isn’t a bad idea to use them when unauthorized individuals enter the school. These metal detectors can also be used at school sporting events, dances and other events where people who aren’t students at the school are being allowed to come onto school property.
Is Always in Use
One key thing to remember if you want for schools to be safe is that security should never be forgotten about. When a school is in a seemingly safe area and no violent acts have occurred on school campus in a long time, it can be easy for educators and the rest of the community to let their guard down when it comes to security. Therefore, it is essential for everyone who is involved in the school system to remember that security can never be forgotten about. Although it might seem tricky at first, it is important for school faculty, parents and more to get into the routine of following safety rules and using all security-related equipment.
Therefore, school officials should never forget to watch surveillance footage from all of the security cameras. You never know what could be missed if no one ever watches the surveillance footage, but making a habit to watch this footage on a regular basis can help educators find out about dangerous behavior and the activities of the students as well as suspicious characters who might try to cause harm to the school or the students and educators who go there every day.
Along with watching surveillance footage, it is imperative for everyone to cooperate when it comes to safety rules. A parent who is in a rush might not like the idea of having to sign in and be buzzed in in order to enter the school, but parents should be patient about such things. If they are, there will be less problems with school officials following these safety rules, which could cut down on crime or prevent a tragedy from occurring without anyone even knowing it.
If you would like to learn more about good security systems and procedures for schools, you should consider talking to a security professional. These professionals make their living from selling security-related equipment, installing it in homes, businesses, government offices, schools and more and helping others to learn about the type of security equipment and measures they need for these places. By talking to a security expert, you can learn more about the security equipment that is available, and you can even have the security professional attend a school or PTA meeting or a meeting in the community. When a professional who knows what he or she is talking about is present and talking about the things that are needed in order to keep the school safe, more people might listen. Contact us to find out how to make your school a safer place.