• School Security
  • COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF LETTER AND PARCEL BOMBS AS DESCRIBED BY THE U.S. POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE
  • Bomb Threat Check List (please Follow link and print image)
  • Curriculum
  • Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools offers research-based practices designed to assist school communities identify these warning signs early and develop prevention, intervention and crisis response plans.  The guide includes sections on:
    • Characteristics of a School that is Safe and Responsive to All Children
    • Early Warning Signs
    • Getting Help for Troubled Children
    • Developing a Prevention and Response Plan
    • Responding to Crisis
    • Resources
    • Methodology, Contributors, and Research Support

  • The Fundamentals of School Security. ERIC Digest Number 132.
    THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC
    School security is a front-burner issue for educators, students, and citizens reeling from the shock of a series of mass school shootings. Yet recently released studies show significant decreases in key types of school violence. In this emotionally charged atmosphere, school administrators must strive to meet their schools' real security needs without wasting scarce resources on measures that may be unwarranted.
    HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROBLEM?

Controlling Access to Your Premises

Personal Identification

A. Before allowing a person to enter onto institution property, make certain his/her identification papers or other credentials are valid. Police and most utility employees carry identification cards and other documents. Never take anything for granted. (If you doubt the identity of intent of a visitor, call the company or agency directly for confirmation.) Remember: Anyone can purchase a uniform or equipment, and props and costumes may be part of an intruder's working tools. Don't be embarrassed; ask for more identification.

B. All employees should have identification cards. Such cards make identification of non-employees immediate by their absence, and questions of identity are easily settled by producing the cards.

C. A security desk should be set up in the main lobby of each building which has an open-access or open-door policy. A sign-in/out log book, supervised by an employee who validates identification prior to allowing visitors to proceed into the building, is highly advisable.

D. Never allow repair work on burglar, fire alarm or communication systems until the repairman has been properly identified, especially in situations where you did not call for repair service. Call the service company directly for confirmation of repair work and the service person's identity.

E. Ideally, an institution should have a single entrance only, monitored by a staff person and equipped with an intercom system, for communicating with anyone who comes to the door. External barriers may also be considered.

Building Security: General

The best way to prevent a crime of incursion is to make its commission difficult.

An institutional security system can begin with a simple dead-bolt lock and expand to sophisticated electronic intrusion and notification equipment. There is no security system that is infallible, but the more carefully chosen and designed the system is (for the particular institution's circumstances), the smaller chance there is that it will be defeated.

The following is recommended:

A LIGHTING

The value of adequate lighting as a deterrent to crime cannot be overemphasized. Adequate lighting is a cost-effective line of defense in preventing crime. All sides and approaches to the facility should be illuminated. Lighting should be directed downward and away from the facility and away from personnel assigned to patrol the facility. The goal is to create as few shadows as possible. Perimeter lights should be installed so the cones of illumination overlap, eliminating areas of total darkness if any one fails to light. A weekly visual examination should be made of all exterior illumination to ensure proper function.

Lighting should be controlled by an automatic photoelectric cell allowing an extension of the daylight hours and providing protection against human error. This will ensure operation during inclement weather. All exterior lighting fixtures should be secured in vandal/ weather resistant housing. Interior lights should also be regulated by timers when the building is unoccupied.

B. FENCES

Take note of all local building and zoning codes regarding fences prior to planning or contracting for a new fencing. Existing or new fencing should be strong and well maintained. Fence lines should be kept free of trash and debris. Clear away trees and vines that might aid a climber. Weeds and shrubs along fence lines, sides of buildings, or near entrance points could hide the activities of a criminal. Keep shrubs low -- under 36 inches -- or clear them away completely. Cut back vines attached to buildings in order to prevent determined intruders from gaining access to upper windows or unprotected roof doors.

C. SKYLIGHTS

Skylights, ventilators, and large door transoms can provide easy access to intruders unless properly protected. If permanent sealing is not possible, steel bars or screens of expanded metal may be required.

D. FIRE EXITS AND STAIRWAYS

Fire and emergency exits should be designed for quick exit but difficult entry from outside. Emergency stairways should be lighted, and doors leading to them kept in good repair. Unauthorized or illegal locking devices must be avoided, but safe locks with quick-release plates or bars are commercially available. Some locks come with built-in sound devices that announce an unauthorized entrance or exit.

E. WINDOWS

Windows should provide light, ventilation and visibility, but not easy access. Glass bricks can be used to seal a window, allowing a continued light source while providing increased security, although visibility and ventilation will be lost. Gates and expanded steel screening, while often unattractive, will provide a high degree of security. Local building codes and fire safety regulations should be consulted prior to all such installations to avoid costly violations.

F. LOCKS

Door locks should be chosen and installed to provide proper security for the location involved. Locks with single cylinders and interior thumb turns, installed on doors with glass panels, should be placed more than 36 inches away from the nearest glass panel. The end-of-day locking procedure should include a visual examination of all areas of the building to prevent "stay-behind" burglars.

1. All exterior door lock cylinders should be protected with metal guard plates or armored rings to prevent cylinder removal. The guard plates should be secured with round-head carriage bolts. Some highly pick-resistant cylinders have a guard plate assembly built around them.
2. All exterior locks should conform to the following:
   • Lock cylinders should be highly pick-resistant.
   • Dead-bolt locks should have a minimum bolt extension of one full inch.
   • Drop-bolt locks should be installed with the proper strike: wood frame, angle strike, metal frame, flat strike.
   • All cylinders should be protected with a guard plate or an armored ring.
3. Doors that have air, hydraulic, or spring returns should be periodically tested to insure that doors return to their fully closed or locked position.

G. DOORS

All external doors, main building doors, and lobby doors leading to common halls should conform to the following guidelines:

1. Solid core wood or metal. (If found to be semi-solid, the doors should be strengthened by applying a 1/2-inch sheet of plywood inside or cover with metal on both sides.)
2. Glass door panels or side panels should be secured with expanded metal to steel mesh secured to the inside of the door. An acceptable alternative is 1/2-inch-thick polycarbonate secured to the inside of the door or frame.
3. If an alarm system is present, or planned for the location, the doors should be equipped with one or more of the following sensor devices: magnetic contact switch, shock sensor or laced panel board. "Glass bugs" which detect glass breakage should be attached to all glass panels and side panels.
4. Doors protected with sensors connected to an alarm system will transmit a signal when violated. If the system is local or proprietary, a sound device (bell or siren) will announce any intrusion at the location. If the system is connected to a central-stations monitoring company, the signal will be received at the company office. When a signal is received, police and building offices are notified. In some cases, a guard is dispatched to the protected premises.
5. The door frames should be sturdy and appropriate for the type of door hung. Weak frames should be replaced or rebuilt.
6. Exterior door locks should conform to the guidelines found in Section "F" (Locks). Interior or office doors should be equipped with heavy-duty, mortised latch sets that have dead-bolt capability. Where needed, rim mounted, dead-bolt or drop-bolt locks can be installed to increase the security of important offices or rooms.
7. Doors that have external or exposed hinges may be vulnerable to pin removal. The hinge pins should be made non-removable by spot welding or other means or the hinges should be pinned to prevent separation.
8. Doors to utility closets should be equipped with working dead-bolt locks and kept locked at all times. Such closets, if unsecured, can become hiding places for "stay-behind" criminals.
9. All exterior doors which do not have glass vision panels should be equipped with wide-angle interviewers (peepholes).
10. Check all local building and fire codes regarding elevators prior to installing locks or other security devices on doors or cars. If no restrictions exist, the floor doors can be equipped with locking devices to prevent unauthorized entry.
    • Elevator cabs should be programmed either by key or relay to bypass floors that are closed or unoccupied.
    • Elevator doors on each floor can be equipped with sets of  magnetic contacts connected to the alarm system which signal any violation of the door.
    • All elevator cars should be equipped with corner-view mirrors to allow observation of the interior prior to entering.
11. Fire doors must conform to all local fire and building codes and should have an Underwriters Laboratory rating.
    • Fire doors should be secured with approved latching or locking hardware, a panic bar with a spring latch or safety lock.
    • Fire doors should be secured with approved latching or locking hardware, a panic bar with a spring latch or safety lock.
    • If the fire door is solid core, the interior material must be fire resistant.
    • An adjustable spring or air return will ensure that the door is always closed.
    • As with all doors, sensor devices connected to a sound device or system will announce their opening.