Most of us would like to think that the campus where we work or send our children to school is safe–free from the shootings, stabbings, and assaults we read about on an all-too-frequent basis.
When things go well, it’s easy to become complacent and take on the mentality of “It can’t happen here.”
But it can. Look at the major incidents we’ve had on our campuses over the past 10-15 years. We’ve seen major violence on elementary, middle, and high school campuses. These incidents have happened in very rural areas, upper class suburbia, and in major cities.
I recently read a quote from a New England superintendent saying his job was educating students and not providing security. This was after he asked parents to participate in a fundraiser to replace computers and other equipment that had been stolen. Let’s hope that’s the most serious breach of security he ever has to face.
But if burglars could get on that campus, so could someone looking to hurt people. Beginning with my next blog, I will give you some tips I have learned about effectively and cost-efficiently protecting campuses so the next tragic event is less likely to happen at your school.
Patrick Fiel [1] is public safety advisor for ADT Security Services [2] and a former executive director of school security for Washington, D.C. Public School System. He also served 22 years in the Army Military Police Corps, where his responsibilities included day-to-day security operations at the West Point Military Academy. During his time with ADT, Fiel has conducted more than 100 television, radio, newspaper, and magazine interviews as a public and school safety expert.
Follow Patrick Fiel on Twitter [3].