School security: 'It's something that we're working on every day'
BEAVERTON, Ore. – While many had a personal reaction to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Jessica Hull’s reaction was professional.
“I automatically go into ‘how are we prepared for this?’” She said.
The Beaverton High School Resource Officer says she is more than just an authority figure in the halls.
“There are a lot of moments in the last four years that I’ve been in school, that I’ve felt more like a counselor than a police officer,” said Hull.
Beaverton High School Principal Anne Erwin says the safety of her students is the one thing she worries about most every day.
Erwin said she strengthened security at her school three days before the school shooting.
“Students come to this school every day, and their parents expect me to keep them safe and my administration to keep them safe,” said Erwin.
The security changes were not major, Erwin said. She adjusted which doors the school locks from the outside during school hours.
Erwin said they have a well-trained staff and plans in place at the school, but she wants parents to know that security measures are continuously evaluated.
“It’s an ongoing effort,” she said. “It’s not a response to one incident, or one scenario or one event. It’s something that we’re working on every day.”
Portland Public Schools has pre-determined sites where students and staff should meet in an evacuation. Each classroom is equipped with an emergency kit, which includes first aid supplies.
Parents have the option of signing up for an alert system to receive emergency updates.
Erwin believes the most vital form of security is adult interaction with students, and says a strong support staff can help curb underlying issues that may motivate a person to do something terrible.
“It’s not just important, it’s vital. It’s essential,” said Erwin. “And I would extend it a little bit beyond that and say it’s essential for every single student on campus to have a connection with at least one adult.”
“You would be amazed at how much information comes out and is shared when someone feels safe to share it,” said Hull.
I find it hard to believe, given the $$ per child in the local districts here, that any school can NOT afford armed security during open hours. Â
Ok, Ok... so we won't get anywhere with the budget issue, so no one will be hired.
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How much do the folks that hold the stop signs out front of the schools as kids get out get paid? Â Volunteers you say? Â What about volunteer security - I'll volunteer! Â Have the sheriff set up a training course and certification, a vetting process. Â Volunteers that are vetted by the sheriff can be stationed during business hours at the school, armed with approved weapons, and their sole function is to maintain high-visibility rapid-response security.
Since (hypothetically) I'll be volunteering, I'll pay for the training and the psych profiling, background checks, whatever. Â
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I'm sure there are plenty of Vets, who are more highly trained than I, who would love the opportunity to guard our children!
They should have active shooter drills like we had nuclear attack drills in the 60's at school.
 @RalphCramden Oh I remeber seeing those videos..they basically have you bend over and kiss your but good bye. I seen the old reals grandma and grandpa had ..there also on youtube.
 @lee986321Â
We actually hid in the basement next to the Civil Defense containers or "carbohydrates", "water" and other stuff. It looked like this.
http://www.civildefensemuseum.com/cdmuseum2/supply/food.html
Just to show you how stupid the kids in Longview are. A girl brought a pellet gun to Monticello Middle School today. Someone told a teacher and the defused the situation. School officials said if any of the kids wanted to arrange a memorial for the kids in Conn. they would be more than willing to help. However, the disfuntional kids in Longview don't give a rat's *** about anything other than themselves. How sad is that?
 @JLO "However, the disfuntional kids in Longview don't give a rat's *** about anything other than themselves."
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The reality is most 12 year-olds don't give a rat's *** about anything other than themselves...period
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 @HarryJuku ...not limiting it to 12-year-old, that's the age of the girl with the bb gun.
 @JLO Who is at fault here?? The school district, the city, the county, the state, the fed's or the parents with the dumbing down of our kids from so much TV in order to keep them entertained??
When I was a sheriff patrolling the local schools in my district there was no way I could be everywhere at once, nor could the school resource officer or even the school security, but they did their best!! Three rules as a cop that always came first: Â Children, Elderly and Animals...