Guest article by Dr. Stephen Bucheli Bayne While the recent ASIS proposed standards for school security are positioned as a necessary advancement for ensuring safer educational environments, several critical aspects warrant reconsideration: Overemphasis on Physical Security Measures: When implemented properly by local collaboration, physical security measures can enhance the protection of school buildings and their […]
Blog Archives
ASIS School Security Standard: Heavy on security hardware, products, and technology mandates — and heavy on potential financial and liability burdens for school leaders.
Are you a superintendent, school board member, or principal who does not want to be blindsided by school security mandates, financial burdens, and potential liability? If so, you will want to learn about a new maneuver, largely driven and influenced by security consultants and vendors, to create a “school security standard” that has potentially significant […]
School security market data versus independent research data: Strategic school safety leaders need to know the difference
School board member: We have limited resources. We need to spend wisely while also letting parents know we are doing something. Superintendent: It’s hard to cut through the noise. Principal: I don’t know who to believe or who to trust – and I don’t need more headaches that make leading our school more difficult. I […]
School security vendors say educators are not tapping into their training for products and tech they sell to schools, but principals say they are not getting enough training. Where is the disconnect?
School principals tell us they are not receiving adequate training for using the security products and technology purchased by their districts. One principal told us he spent nearly three hours trying to track down the movement of one specific identified student using new cameras installed in his district. Building principals have noted from time to […]
When “layers of security” becomes a spin phrase to dodge questions about gaps and limitations of school security products, hardware, and technology
The most novice of security students understand that the concept of “layers of security” is a basic concept of professional security practices. The basic premise in the simplest of explanations is that multiple layers of security may lower risks of full security breaches. While a basic concept to security professionals, the concept — and more […]
Are security vendors setting up school leaders to fail? When superintendents and principals overpromise on school security, they lose their school community’s trust and confidence on school safety.
School leaders turning to physical security measures such as metal detectors, AI weapons detection systems, panic buttons or badges, and other trendy measures should exercise caution not to overpromise school security to parents, teachers, and students. Superintendents and principals should avoid parroting vendor marketing claims and overpromising security Some security hardware, product, and tech vendors […]
A lesson for superintendents, school boards, and principals on being wise school safety and security consumers: People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to their problems.
“People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to their problems.” This insightful observation, along with a humorous video to illustrate the point, is floating around social media. While some may focus on the video, marketing gurus are using it to impart a bit of wisdom that school leaders must consider when tackling school security challenges […]
School security expert witness says school safety civil lawsuits point to allegations of failures of human factors, not failures of security equipment and technology
Being retained as a school security expert witness in Pre-K12 school civil litigation cases ranging from the nation’s highest profile school active shooter cases and wrongful death cases (Sandy Hook, Parkland, San Bernardino, and others) to rapes and other sexual assaults, violent physical assaults, gang violence, crimes on school buses, and other lawsuits provides unique […]
Ohio school safety policy should be barricaded from politics
A highly emotional controversy is spreading across Ohio over classroom door barricades. Advocates are touting these devices as a way to lock out potential school shooters. They are ignoring the very real dangers created if these barricades are used improperly or fall into the wrong hands. Imagine that your daughter is forced into an empty […]
Are schools wasting limited money on questionable security vendor products?
Since the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School, far too many schools have been looking for the one practice or device that will guarantee school safety. Not surprisingly, many service and product vendors have tried to meet that desire. While few vendors have been successful in meeting that need, a large amount of school safety […]