By Bret Rachlin on 9/26/2008 3:45 PM

“Safety is more important. You can’t learn if you’re not safe. That’s any child at any age,” says Dionne Fields, a parent in Knox County, Tennessee (Source: WVLT, 9/22/2008, Knox Co. Commission approves $195K school security boost). Fields’ comments reflect the feelings of many Knoxville parents after the August shooting at Central High School. Apparently, the Knox County Commission agrees with Fields, as it has voted to approve funding for nearly $195,000 for school safety enhancements.

The Knox County School Board has done a commendable job of obtaining additional funding for school safety. After the tragic shooting in August, school officials worked quickly to secure funding for the hiring of additional security officers and adding video monitoring systems among several other safety initiatives.

However, what are other school districts ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 9/19/2008 11:17 AM

School security is definitely an art, not a science. Take Sandy High in the Oregon Trail School District, for example (Source: The Sandy Post, 9/10/2008, Sandy High’s many entrances, exits pose security risk). The school needed extra space to accommodate more students, so it added three modular classrooms. Of course, the portable buildings added six additional entrance/exit points which brings the total number of access points to 54. Clearly, the school security program required adjustments to maintain safety.

In addition to a system of video surveillance cameras and security officers, the school district plans to hire someone to direct security for the entire district, which includes nine schools.

According to Sally Tripp, vice principal at the high school, “I believe that having a coordinated effort and that consistency betw ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 9/12/2008 10:48 AM

Last April I commented on a story about how the University of Washington was experimenting with using radio frequency identification to track students and staff in its computer science building. Now a provider of asset visibility solutions, AeroScout, has announced the adoption of its visibility solution by two educational institutions (Source: RFID News, 9/8/2008, Schools using RFID for security enhancement).

While Lincoln University in Pennsylvania utilizes AeroScout T3 Wi-Fi-based Active RFID tags to track audio-visual and maintenance equipment, the Strong Rock Christian School in Georgia is using RFID to enhance campus security and student safety. All visitors to the school are issued clip-on AeroScout ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 9/5/2008 10:57 AM

The vandalism that occurred at the Chugwater School in Platte County, Wyoming, last month was the third incident this year (Source: Platte County Record-Times, 8/28/2008, School vandalism under investigation). While the dollar amount of damage is still not known, this time the destruction was extensive. In addition to 70 windows broken out, a copier, refrigerator, two microwaves, and three computers were destroyed among many other items. The cost of seven broken windows earlier in the year cost $1,500, so it’s clear that this act of vandalism will be much more expensive.

While the article does not say whether or not the school had network video surveillance or access control, it does mention that the police are investigating several leads. Of course, it is likely that a video surveillance solution implemented in an appropriate ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 8/28/2008 2:41 PM

With schools across the country either already back in session or about to start, here’s a school safety checklist to help determine if schools are meeting or exceeding good safety guidelines (Source: Education Development Center, 8/2008, School Safety Checklist). Most importantly, the article highlights that “school safety is everyone’s business.”

Overall, when reviewing this list it’s interesting to think about how technology supports many of the safety practices. For example, item number four asks if your school is “addressing ways to prevent as well as respond to crises.” To answer this question, does the school have an emergency notification system to communicate to students, parents, and staff in the event of an emergency? Does the school have network video surveillance, so local law enforcement can monitor an incident as it occurs to ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 8/21/2008 4:21 PM

A recent fight at Butler High School in Augusta, GA, left one student beat up. The male victim claims that he was rushed by a group of boys so quickly that he doesn’t know what happened (Source: WJBF-TV, 8/20/2008, Parents Say Richmond County School Video Surveillance Is Faulty). The student’s grandmother asked the school to provide video of the fight, but “no footage could be produced.” While she theorizes that the cameras were actually ‘dummies’, the school district superintendant countered that the schools “have very few that are not live cameras. If they malfunction, it is incumbent upon the school to report it, turn in a work order, and get it serviced.”

According to Butler High School representatives, all of the cameras were off and they submitted a work order to fix the cameras on August 14th.

Read More »

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By Bret Rachlin on 8/14/2008 10:58 AM

By Bret Rachlin on 8/6/2008 9:51 AM

By Bret Rachlin on 7/31/2008 8:56 AM

The 2nd National Student Safety and Security Conference will take place at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, from November 20th to November 21st.  According to the July 23rd article in SecurityinfoWatch.com, the conference will provide attendees "the opportunity to take part in hands-on activities and also listen to speakers share their insights and knowledge about successful approaches to securing our nation's schools."  

Based on the conference agenda, considerable r ... Read More »

By Bret Rachlin on 7/25/2008 3:56 PM