>> Another Hard Look at School Safety (10/2006)
Behind the Badge: A Message from Sheriff Ted Mink
The shocking and senseless murder of student Emily Keyes at Platte Canyon High School in September by an adult gunman was a painful reminder that schools are not always the safe havens we expect them to be. The incident has caused us all to ask again, how can we improve school safety when resources are limited?
The 1999 attack on Columbine High School was a watershed event that forced changes in law enforcement tactics and school security procedures. Today, our deputies have more information (school layouts, school procedures), equipment (computers, rifles, inter-agency radios) and training (incident management system, rapid and immediate deployment, mass evacuations). The Sheriff's Office works together with school administrators and district officials to coordinate crisis plans and provide school security audits. The Safe2Tell program urges students to call in anonymous tips about threats, bullying or suspicious activity.
While school safety has come a long way in the last seven years, there is still work to be done. There is no simple answer to school safety when each school is different. But one of the simplest and most critical ways to ensure safety is for the schools to have a crisis plan, and to practice it. Lockdown and evacuation drills are not mandatory like fire drills are, but they are just as important. We are working with school administrators to help them develop, implement and/or practice crisis plans.
The role of the school resource officer (SRO)
Nine school resource officers cover 52 public schools in unincorporated Jefferson County. The many schools generate a steady load of calls for service -- everything from assaults to parking violations. SROs handle these calls. SROs are also part-time educators, and often teach classes on topics such as drugs, diversity and the Safe2Tell program. Additionally, SROs function as counselors for students who are making bad choices, committing crimes or exhibiting unsafe behavior.
All SROs work hard to keep up with interviews, reports, school checks, parent contacts and more. Neither they, nor the patrol deputies on the road, can stand guard at our schools' front doors. In the case of an emergency, we must rely on preparation, good crisis planning, good communication and a swift and effective response.
Review, revise and improve
Each example of school violence we see in the news is different than the ones that came before. In the wake of Platte Canyon, we have yet another perspective to bring to the table as we review current school safety methods. Lessons learned from training exercises and real-life incidents like Platte Canyon inform ongoing crisis planning. Mindful of the events at Platte Canyon, we are bringing renewed vigor to our meetings with school officials as together we review, revise and improve safety plans and procedures.
What parents can do
Communicate with your children, and with their schools. Find out what safety plans are in place at your child's school, such as procedures for visitors. No matter how old they are, talk to your children about personal safety. Be sure they know how to report strangers at their school, and what kinds of concerns merit telling a teacher or SRO. Also, make a plan in case of an emergency; if your child's school is in lockdown, you won't be able to pick them up, so let them know how to get in touch with you.
Resources
The Sheriff's Office offers child safety classes for age preschool through 3rd grade: call 303-271-5665. For older students, the 24-hour Safe2Tell hotline is 1-877-542-7233.
Behind the Badge Archive
Last Modified:
May 20, 2009 10:52 AM
