Security Process to Employing Physical Security Upgrades
Collaboration
The implementation of any physical or educational security countermeasure demands collaboration with every involved shareholder within Acer School district. This allows the implementation process to have the needed support that ensures each stakeholder, despite how minor they are, gets on-board with the new changes and actively contributes to ensuring sustenance of these measures. Therefore, before any form of measure is implemented, collaboration must be sought and agreed upon to allow the whole process to progress without a hitch. The collaboration aspect of implementation includes and involves educating the relevant parties of the need for such measures
Education
It is usually easy for coordinators of security upgrades to disregard the importance of enlightening, not only the major shareholders but also those whom those upgrades will directly affect. Whilst security may seem and look as if it is a physical aspect; it is more of a choice element than it may seem. Those whom the security upgrades are meant to impact significantly must be willing to uphold those minor corrections like locking the gate, keeping an eye for any suspicious activities, or even speaking out when concerns arise, for the complete upgrade to work. Educating every group that will be affected by the upgrades, thus becomes an important aspect before the implementation process begins, to ensure collaboration and coordination throughout the whole process.
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Communication
The installation of security measures, however non-physical they may seem, usually comes with significant physical changes. Within any social system, change is usually hard to implement and is always met by resistance as those that will significantly be helped by such a change consider it a disruption to their everyday life. It, therefore, becomes vital that a clear communication channel is established to allow for effective installation and implementation of security measures. Students and parents need to be informed about the upcoming changes and told how such changes would help improve their security. More so, when physical security measures such as surveillance cameras, gates, check-ups, and ID retrieval are set in place, they will be naturally be seen as ‘restrictive’ rather than helpful. Therefore, it becomes essential to communicate such changes beforehand and allow for discussions as a way of providing avenues that ensure acceptance.
Seeking Approvals
It is important to seek approval from the necessary authorities mainly since such changes include physical changes to existing structures and also because it affects the lives of young children. Government approvals from the relevant authorities usually go a long way in ensuring a smooth transition from one system and protects the team mandated with the upgrades from unnecessary legal suits.
Coordination
The Acer School District involves a total of nine schools and implementing security upgrades that meet each individual school needs, requires an innate understanding of the whole system. It is crucial, therefore, that coordination is sought between schools in ensuring consistency in implementation. Coordination allows for holistic implementation that ensures each school acquires an upgrade that meets their most dire needs, while at the same, ensuring that no one school is favored. Security upgrades do not only involve the school management and the parent/student groups, but it also involves the community around and the law enforcement agencies within such an area. It is therefore vital that coordination is sought with these external groups in an effort to create a district school security system that is open, effective, and operational.
Procurement
Unlike ordinary items, security gadgets all come with a caveat as they tend to pose a form of threat to those whom they are intended for. The set budget of 500,000 dollars needs to be utilized efficiently by procuring from the correct authorities and attaining the true value for the services offered. The utilization of public funds for such a major project will always come with a scrutiny that demands openness
Educational Security Programs in Dealing with Criticism
While criticism is almost guaranteed, dealing with it demands an inclusive program that involves and engages those who find fault in such a security setup in an understanding that allows them to accept it. The most effective educational security program to deal with is perhaps SETA (Security, Education, Training and Awareness). SETA is a security program that deals with the lack of security awareness amongst employees or even teachers and students. The program aims at creating the right security awareness that allows these individuals who find fault in the system to appreciate the small and significant security changes implemented. The program takes the critics of the security program through an awareness educational program that allows them access to the right information as it regards to those changes that have been implemented. In doing this, the critics find purpose in those changes and instead of questioning the change, they make objective suggestions as to needed improvements where they see deem necessary.
Countermeasures
There are those specific countermeasures that must be put in place if the security changes are to be effective. The first countermeasure is internal and one that acts as an early warning system to a potential threat. This involves having a mitigation strategy that involves a board or a committee involving students, teachers, internal and external security agents, government agency, and community members. The idea is to have a board-room that meets regularly and contributes to highlighting major security issues that need be addressed.
The second countermeasure is the adoption of a long-term security strategy that ensures a long-term commitment to security. Sadly, most schools only take action when an incident happens, and this usually results in too many casualties and is very expensive. The long-term approach ensures commitment and guarantees continuous improvements in ensuring security.
The third countermeasure is the investment in physical security, which discourages possible threats from entering the school compound. Physical features such as surveillance cameras, gates, locks, and fences act as ‘delaying mechanism’ that slow down the process of a security breach, hence saving lives.
The final countermeasure involves designating a ‘police presence’ within the school. This may be by providing local law enforcement with a room or a spot where they can take a break from their patrols, a quiet space where they can fill out their reports or even a space where they can have a cup of coffee. The mere presence of the police improves the security of the school and makes it harder for possible threats to attack, while it also guarantees armed response when and if such attacks occur.
Best Practices in other School Security Programs
Installation of surveillance cameras in all danger areas within the school premises
Maintained fence and gates
Presence of security agents at the school gate
Required clearance before entering the school
Security checks for both teachers and staff before entering the school
Training of students of security-related subjects
Security alarm installed within the school premises
Random searches on students to prevent them from smuggling dangerous weapons into the school
Strict rules regarding student pick-ups, use of mobile phones, loitering and social engagements
The existence of a school panel that reviews security policies periodically
References
Murnane, R., Simpson, A., & Jongman, B. (2016). Understanding Risk: What Makes A Risk Assessment Successful? International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environement , 7, (2), 186-200. DOI 10.1108/IJDRBE-06-2015-0033
