Schools Look to Security Technology to Increase Safety: New Report Can Assist with Decisions
The nation is a long way from Columbine and school shootings continue to occur. School administrators are starting to take precautions against a potential incident by upgrading security technologies, but many are not technology specialists. Trying to sift through the various products and the barrage of vendors can be overwhelming – and no one wants to get taken for a ride.
To prevent schools from making the wrong decision regarding the appropriate technologies for their institutions, the National Institute of Justice, along with security specialists at the Security Systems and Technologies Center at Sandia National Laboratories, published The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in US Schools: A Guide for Schools and Law Enforcement Agencies. “It is a very important study because it offers practical guidance to help them (school administrators) make informed decisions about security technology,” said Allen Turner, School Security Specialist and Visiting Scientist in the NIJ Office of Technology and a Professor at George Mason University.
The guide should assist schools and law enforcement agencies to analyze their vulnerability to violence, vandalism, theft and suggests possible technologies to address these problems in an effective manner. The guide describes existing, commercially available technologies and urges thoughtful consideration of not only potential safety benefits, but also the added costs from having new technology, which may require additional training, staff and maintenance. Topic areas included in the guide are: security concepts and operational issues, video surveillance, weapons detection devices (walk-through and hand-held metal detectors and x-ray baggage scanners), entry controls and duress alarms. The guide is, “trying to make schools and school administrators better consumers. We want them to know what they’re getting into,” said Mary Green, School Security Specialist at Sandia Labs and author of the guide. “It is to make them aware of all the strengths and weaknesses of the technologies available to them.”
According to Green and Gordon Smith, Manager of the Civilian Physical Surety Technologies Department at Sandia Labs, technology is a tool that can assist schools in the short term if necessary, but it is not the answer to all of the issues associated with school violence. “We think school safety is a combination of social programs and other non-technical solutions,” said Smith. “Don’t jump to technology automatically.”
What Green believes all schools do need is a crisis management response plan. (For more information on how best to prepare and respond to a school-based critical incidents please click here) In addition to having a plan she believes it is important for all schools to be able to call out quickly to summon support or aid, not just the principal. Schools need to know when to lock down and how to convey that information to the rest of the school. They also need to know how to evacuate and where to go. Green advises that emergency assignments be given to each teacher and an alternate. “When this (emergency plan instructions) isn’t kept in front of your eyes because of nasty headlines, schools let the plan fall by the wayside,” she said.
A security solution for one school may not be the best solution for another. However the guide hopes to provide non-technical, non-vendor specific information on:
Although the general guide that this article addresses provides significant detail for school administrators, there is also a sensitive version for law enforcement and school security personnel. The sensitive version is labeled such because the detail is so specific regarding technology and different ways in which it can be manipulated that it is not a version schools need to make available to everyone. The general guide, “gives a tremendous amount of detail. It would give a school administrator everything they need to know about security technology,” said Turner. The sensitive version is available for law enforcement and school security personnel through the National Institute of Justice.
“If they’re considering putting in security technology into their schools they should definitely read this report,” said Smith. The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in US Schools: A Guide for Schools and Law Enforcement Agencies can be located online at http://www.ncjrs.org/school/178265.txt. “It’s (technology) just something else in the toolbox for school administrators,” said Green.
If school administrators are interested in gaining further knowledge regarding implementing technologies in their school click here to view Security Technologies for School Safety conference information.
Resources Allen Turner, school security specialist and visiting scientist in the NIJ Office of Technology and a Professor at George Mason University Gordon Smith, Manager of the Civilian Physical Surety Technologies Department at Sandia Labs in Albuquerque, New Mexico Mary Green, School Security Specialist at Sandia Labs and author of the report |