School security

[Geezy Rider]

How about, wild notion, let teachers exercise their 2nd amendment rights. Let principals carry. If the principal has a student he does not trust, let's check that specific student, not ALL students. If teachers don't want to carry, that's cool, the parents should be allowed to move their kids out of that class if they would like. If a principal refuses to allow teachers to carry, the school can be petitioned to have him removed, if the majority want teachers to carry.

There is zero "one size fits all" solutions. And trying to "Secure schools like the capitol" only increases our taxes, ****** off the good kids (And parents who have to wait), teaches kids to accept unwarranted searches and that their fellow student is not to be trusted, and promotes an atmosphere of fear. Among other things. And at the end of the day, a shooter can just wait 1' outside the door of the building and do the exact same thing he would have otherwise done in a classroom.

That is already an option allowed in Texas schools today but the Texas school system has too many libs running things to allow teachers to be armed. Many rural schools, including those near me have adopted this policy of arming and training teachers.

[SabineHunter]

That is already an option allowed in Texas schools today but the Texas school system has too many libs running things to allow teachers to be armed. Many rural schools, including those near me have adopted this policy of arming and training teachers.

Actually, I wouldn't want teachers/admin to carry throughout the day, too many things could go wrong. Hence, my idea of the lock box on the desk.

[HogHunter34]

I agree with others that nothing will be 100% proof & stop every scenario but I also don’t believe we use that as a “nothing can be done” Many on this site as myself have a vested interest in the topic as our spouses are teachers & kids are still school age pondering the idea of could we be next? Not to live in fear but I believe we can always improve from what we learn or know. Heck with the technology we have at our disposal perhaps better security in terms of cameras, video, alert system that auto locks doors. Training with local LEO on coordinating plans,etc. I don’t have the answers but with todays technology & resources there are opportunities to make improvements

[donpablo]

Remember when this was a problem with post office employees? What did they do to turn things around?

[Arrowsmith]

If the school had a policy to keep doors locked, then, sadly, the teachers of that classroom got lax, as I am sure happens every day, then it was on them. If the outside door was supposed to be locked, then someone (superintendent, principal, maintenance personnel, whomever), is puckered up waiting for the investigation to be completed…assuming there was a good security policy in place. I can understand how most people could get lax thinking that it wouldn’t happen at their school.

Before I retired I did a lot of school construction work. We built new schools and retrofitted/remodeled many other school buildings. We built a lot of front entry security vestibules.

Most of my most recent work was in the Plano ISD. For the most part elementary and middle school main front entry doors are reasonably secure. Visitors have to ring a door bell and be buzzed in to enter the security vestibules. I say reasonably secure because glass could be shot out, broken out with a sledge hammer, and on some campuses a vehicle could possibly be driven thru the glass curtain walls etc.

Other exterior doors are not as secure. The last elementary I remodeled in Plano had exterior doors at the end of each corridor and also exterior doors on almost every classroom. These are aluminum frame with glass doors that could easily be breeched with a sledge hammer or shot out. We worked throughout the school year so I got to see a lot of what goes on day to day. I have seen these exterior classroom doors propt open on nice days with a door stop. I have seen exterior corridor doors propt open during recess so the kids could have access to the restroom. I have seen exterior corridor doors that would not latch because of a misadjusted door closer or because of building pressure created by the HVAC system (outside air and AC units).

Complacency (it could not happen here).

Staff not following school district security protocol.

Equipment not working properly (door closers and building pressure holding exterior doors open).

Also many campuses still use "open concept" classrooms which have no lockable door to the corridors.

To truly "harden" existing campuses would be a huge task.

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[Olphart]

I see these horrible incidents as a product of people that have had little guidance or other discipline for everyday events at home or school. Add the lack of love and they are left to hate any and all authority figures. This sick kid (18) had to have a terrible upbringing by his parent(s) and/or grandparents since he was living with the latter, and he shot his grandmother before going to the school. He even posted on a social crap site about his threats, and recipients thought he was bluffing/boasting, so they did nothing.

As a former officer, I've seen parents bring up their kids as heathens, protect and demand proof they did something wrong or even tell them they did good by stealing from others and not get caught. When they mouthed off to school officials or cops, the parents denied junior did wrong and it must have been provoked by the authority figure. I was no angel growing up but if I misbehaved, skipped school, or just didn't treat others with respect, I knew that anything the school did to me for discipline was nothing compared to what I would get when I got home.

The weapon used in this isn't the problem. Teaching and holding children to doing the right thing wasn't done prior to this incident and likely others prior. I will never understand taking personal problems out on innocent kids and teachers, or anybody else for that matter. Death by cop was his only way to end his demons.

[Grant2]

I agree same security as congress. We all know that won’t happen. I believe us Dads, citizens, should volunteer to stand watch at your local school. Background checks, training, but armed. I know I would volunteer a day or two a month or even more if that’s what it took. It’s going to start with us to make a difference and get politics out of it.

This always sounds good until someone is shot or a stray bullet hits the wrong person then the lawsuits start. You have to remember they are letting criminals out that have a murder charge and people getting in lawsuits because someone broke into there house and shot the bad guy. Today’s world is not the same the criminal has more rights then you.

[Hardware]

Why is it that no one talks about mental health since it's the one common denominator in all mass shootings? If you were off you rocker, unstable and posed a threat to society more than likely you were placed in an institution. This has all changed in the last 40 or so years and now most of the mental institutions have closed down. Instead now we medicate these people and allow them to walk around society hoping they take the medication and stay stable. The ACLU has fought for their rights so they have a choice to not be committed or take medicine so they have psychotic episodes in a public setting. Add the societal erosion of morals in the same period and the lack of respect for others and it's a scary outlook for our future.

You'll never stop pure evil in this world!!

Best we can do is get back to God, Family, Country/Patriotism and strong moral teachings for all in society. Stop being Reactive and start being Proactive so when we see signs years before someone acts we take action.

[HogHunter34]

^^^ I certainly understand the mental health side is another factor. My dad worked for a mental health facility & there were many cases of bipolar & schizophrenic patients
However the biggest challenge is who can actually predict a person could carry out such an act? How much circumstantial or profiling evidence is enough to detain or lock someone up? Sure if they blatantly post their threat that’s the obvious but the subtle signs are hard to filter out in society. Just because someone looks or acts different doesn’t always equal evil doers
And exactly what level of mental health classifies as a red flag to take action? Anxiety? Depression? Bipolar?
Some folks just snap due to major life upsets
I worked with a lady who’s nephew experienced a rocky marriage when his wife cheated on him. He wanted to meet with her to discuss separation & child custody. Ended up killing her & took his own life
Everyone in their family was in utter shock he would ever do such a thing

[Razorback01]

Look up watchdogs.

Our school has a program called watchdogs and it’s actually a nationally recognized program. Being armed is not part of it but among other things keeping an eye on the campus is. Multiple dads there every day for this exact reason.

This the the program that was referenced, Watch D.O.G.S.

https://dadsofgreatstudents.com/

[rjtkdplus]

From a friend of mine


HOW TO STOP SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: FROM A SECURITY EXPERT- by Drew Arthur

I have been reading and listening to knee jerk opinions full of emotion and advice how to solve the school shootings.

Anyone who says gun control is the way- doesn’t know anything about what works in security ans what does not work - that simple and they aren’t security experts


The problem is the folks I have heard from are not source security experts. True security experts are far and few.

I am one of those experts. I attended and passed the best U.S. Federal Security programs, training, and test at the Federal Law Enforcement Academy. I worked for 20 years as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. I worked as a Judicial Security Inspector (Protecting U.S.Federal Court Houses, and U.S. Federal Judges). In 2005 we have a tragic county courthouse shooting. I was requested to write site security assessments for the court house and several other county facilities. I did, and I wrote more for other courthouses and have taught how to make a family safe.

Pointing fingers at the gun is wrong. Guns are against the law in Mexico, but, last year more folks were killed in Mexico by these non-existent and outlawed guns, than the deaths by guns in Afghanistan.

Closer to home there has been an experiment going on in the huge city of Chicago, Illinois. Some of the countries toughest gun laws. Chicago constantly leads the country in huge numbers of murders by the non- existent guns that have been outlawed.

GUN CONTROL DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE THAN TAKING CARS AWAY FROM SOBER DRIVERS TO STOP DRUNK DRIVING WOULD WORK.

This is emotional knee jerk opinions by well meaning folks who do not truly understand a field they do not have expertise in.

WHAT WILL GIVE SCHOOLS SECURITY?

The answer is paying for the proper level of security to protect the children.

How to pay for it? That’s the question. Citizens do not want to pay higher taxes.

Municipalities, counties, the state, and federal government could all share in the cost.
Folks use half cent bonds to pay for firehouses. I think between all mentioned entities the schools can be funded for the proper level of security.

THE MECHANICS? HOW DO WE MAKE THE SCHOOLS SAFE.

HARD TARGET: The schools need to be a hard target to enter.

Doors: There needs to be one entrance way into the schools. All doors should have emergency push bars to exit only in case of fire or emergency.

School Resource Officers (School Police), and School Security Guards should patrol the schools, watch the monitors of all the cameras, check back packs, etc.

FENCING: There should be fences around the facility, with remote electric entrance and electric locking capabilities. 8 foot and climbing resistant with concertina wire on top. The fence will be around the parking lot and school.

All class rooms should have a tough locking system for students to shelter in place.and a bullet resistant, tornado resistant sheltering in -place portable room - they already have it- are the kids worth it? Yes.

Offer young law enforcement officers to live in a temp mobile home, free utilities and no rent on campus. Cover all shifts

TEACHERS:
All teachers and administration employees who want to carry a concealed weapon should be allowed to. They should have to qualify, and attend stop the shooter quarterly drills with the school resource officers and security officers.

TROUBLED STUDENTS:
Students who have violent tendencies, or have had violent arrest, should be a one school for students with these problems.

There are more things that can be done.

But, the problem is that folks want to blame everyone else, guns, 2nd amendment, etc. They don’t want to really fortify the schools, and provide true armed protection to save the children.

If police (enough to cover the campus) are not present on the campus they can only respond after a tragedy occurs.

If the campus in open, doors unlocked, and no bag checks, no officers, no armed teachers and administration, no fences, no security cameras, only one entrance, then there is no security.

You can take everyone’s guns, baseball bats, kitchen knives, and bad players will show up with them because it is like shooting fish in a barrel.THE KILLING ZONE IS GUN FREE ZONES.

Like the federal court houses , must have an ID, and walk through a metal detector, and everything goes through an x- ray machine . Have law enforcement there doing the screening.

If you live and want to protect your greatest resource, and investment in America’s future, spend the money and make the facility a hard target, one that a would be attacked will immediately fail when they try to enter the facility?

Armed security protects celebrities, banks, courts, jewelry stores, sporting events, and even anti gun celebrities and anti gun politicians.

SHOULDN’T YOUR CHILDREN HAVE THE SAME PROTECTION, AREN’T THEY AS IMPORTANT?

PAY FOR PROPER SECURITY AND MAKE IT A HARD TARGET.

This is the only way to stop violent perpetrators.

About the author: Drew was a U.S. Marine Infantryman/Military Police Officer, U.S. Army Infantryman, Municipal Police Officer, Deputy U.S. Marshal / Federal Criminal Investigator/ Senior Judicial Security Inspector (Ret). Drew holds Black Belts in Relson Gracie JiuJitsu, Judo, Japanese JuJitsu, Karate, Krav Maga, and is a certified instructor in Muay Thai.

He can be contacted (903)-509-1662— gracietyler.com

Thank you

Drew Arthur


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[brokeno]

No matter how good your safety system is hard to have something in place to stop every scenario. Too many people with mental illiness out there that need to be locked up in an institution. We have a sign posted at our school that stats that our teachers are armed and trained to protect our children. The same thing at the church I attend and have a security plan which I am part of. Our main objective is to eliminate the threat. We carry pistols and if a shooter comes in with ar 15 and clips of ammo we are definately going to be out gunned but that's what we volunteered to do. Hopefully it will never come to this but in today's sick society it may. I can't imagine the pain these families are going through now and for those that thought they were doing the right thing and it wasn't. I'm sure none of the people in charge thought the outcome would be how it turned out. Instead of crucifying all those involved in the decisions that were made we need to be praying for them. I can't imagine how they must feel now. And lastly, How safe is your workplace if some sick mental idiot entered your workplace with bullets flying.

[MBV77]

Even if the money is appropriated, finding the people to fill the positions is problematic. Can you imagine how boring it must be to stand around all day doing nothing everyday waiting for years for a threat that may not ever happen. There is no easy solution, and I don’t think there is any solution to stop every lunatic/psycho out there who is intent on killing a large number of people.

Lots of school districts have their own PD’s now with officers on every campus in the district. They have no problem filling the positions. Lots of applicants every time positions open up.

But I agree, there’s not a way to keep evil people from doing evil things.


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[Burnadell]

Lots of school districts have their own PD’s now with officers on every campus in the district. They have no problem filling the positions. Lots of applicants every time positions open up.

But I agree, there’s not a way to keep evil people from doing evil things.


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Longview Police Dept is understaffed and cannot find people to fill their open positions, and I hear the same thing at other departments.

[tvc184]

Longview Police Dept is understaffed and cannot find people to fill their open positions, and I hear the same thing at other departments.

Policing in the US is pretty much in a hiring/staffing crisis. Certainly there are some agencies that are getting sufficient recruits but I believe that the majority are not and many are struggling that man the streets.