A Cleveland elementary school teacher was robbed and her car was stolen as she arrived outside the school around 7:30am today.
This incident illustrates the importance of thinking about school security beyond just the hours when students are present. All schools, especially those in high-crime areas, should have security considerations in place from early staff arrival until the last staff member is out the door in the evening.
School safety planning for this time period should include things such as:
- Physical security measures such as lighting, access control, alarm system operations, restricted times for unlocking/locking doors, etc.
- Establishing communications capabilities and protocols for times when limited staff are working in the building.
- Training custodial, teaching, and other support staff on emergency plans designed specifically for before and after regular school hours.
Several years ago, one school was forced into a lockdown on a teacher planning day before school opened for students at the start of the school year. An armed male was on the attack in connection with a domestic situation involving one of the school’s staff members.
Security is the job of everyone in a school. It is also something we must factor into school safety planning beyond just the traditional school instructional hours.
Does your school’s safety plan include risk reduction measures and emergency guidelines from opening to closing of the building?
Ken Trump