News

Schools can improve security in several ways

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

In the wake of recent school violence, White House officials, police officers, educators and students met in Washington, D.C. as part of the Conference on School Safety. Summit participants discussed ways to prevent and combat violence in all schools, both public and parochial. The recent tragic events also heighten awareness locally, said Michael Martin of Martin Security Systems of Green Bay, which has served several diocesan schools.

"Now is the time to take a look at security at our schools," he said. "People will embrace it, support it and they will make sure they follow the new safety procedures. There are a lot of components that create a safe environment for not only the kids, but for the faculty as well. Part of our approach is to look at risk analysis. I'm not simply looking for electronic equipment that's going to save the day. You have to look at the whole picture. You really have to start by looking at the outside of the building, the lighting, the parking. All components contribute to creating a safe campus."

"Lighting is a really important piece that people lose sight of, so we bring it back to the forefront," he added. "We try to come up with creative solutions that are not particularly expensive. A motion detector is a good example. Installing a motion detector at a school for after hours serves as a deterrent for intruders and prevents vandalism. It's not very expensive, but is very effective."

Many of the Catholic schools are older buildings, but age of the facility does not limit technical security options, said Martin. Wireless technology allows for installation in any building.

A challenge for some older schools is the layout. Having the main office near the main entrance creates a safer environment. If this is not possible, measures may be taken to control entry to the building. The office at St. John the Baptist School in Howard, for example, is in a central location. All school doors are locked. An intercom system with a camera was installed at the main entrance. When a person uses the intercom to seek entry, office personnel view the visitor on a monitor. The visitor must sign in at the office.

"With security, it is a challenge to create an inviting atmosphere because we do want the parents to come into the building to visit the classrooms and to have lunch with their student," said Deanna Johnson, principal at St. John the Baptist School. "They (parents) understand the issues we are dealing with and the necessity of some of the procedures. They are willing to put up with some of the inconveniences because the purpose is to maintain the safety of their children."

Creating a secure environment also involves a human aspect, said Johnson.

"The people play an important part," she said. "The teachers are familiar with students in several grades. Children are never left unsupervised. They are taken out by the teachers to the buses. There are usually three supervisors on the playground. We know the students and know the families. We are alert and attentive. The best security system is not 100% perfect. You have to keep your eyes and ears open."

At Holy Family School in Green Bay, the main office was near the main entrance, but visibility was a problem. The front door featured an intercom system, but a staircase near the entrance created problems tracking visitors.

"If somebody didn't check in, we didn't know if they went up or down," said Dan Malmberg, principal.

Over the summer, the front office was renovated. Holy Family's large hallways allowed the office to be extended. The enclosed walls were removed and replaced with partial walls and glass for visibility of the front entrance. A camera monitors the front door. Malmberg can view the entrance on the computer in his office.

"It also makes the flow of the main office much better," he said. "It used to be a really congested area. People would gather in the doorway of the office. It was difficult to control the traffic flow."

The renovation was funded in part by a group of parents.

"They saw the need," said Malmberg. "Everyone is thrilled with the results."

Regular parent volunteers at the school have access to proximity cards, which allow them to enter the building without requiring admittance through the office.

"We have a lot of volunteers, so it only made sense to offer the cards," said Malmberg. "The cards are coded to the particular person. If they lose it, we can disarm the card. There is no identification on the card, so if someone found it, they wouldn't know what it's for. The cards are coded to allow the parents in the school from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. With the large number of people we have volunteering on a daily basis, it's been helpful."

"We've put together master key programs for some schools," said Martin. "If a master key program isn't kept up, we look at the next option which is proximity access. You can define schedules versus handing someone a key. If someone leaves, it's sometimes difficult to get the key back. With proximity access, three strokes of a mouse and the person is deleted from the system."

Other key components to improve security and safety are classroom-to-classroom communication and proper room numbering systems, he said.

"If classrooms are not equipped with telephones, some kind of communication tool is really needed," Martin said. "We can use the PA system to give them that capability, that functionality."

The office should be door number one, and the other rooms should be numbered accordingly, said Martin. He also recommends room numbers on the outside of the building. Schools have taken positive steps to make facilities more secure, he added.

"When a school closes its campus and creates key access gates, they are much safer than they used to be," he said. "The days where you could walk up to any door and open it are in the past. Most schools have also done a better job with visitor badges and sign-in sheets. For the most part with the schools where we've done a site analysis, when we make a recommendation, there is typically follow through. That's really good to see."

"You do what you can within reasonable expectations," said Johnson. "We want the children to feel safe, comfortable and relaxed."