Schools should be safe places for young people, educators, school staff, and community members, and policies and practices can help create learning environments where kids thrive. Gun violence in U.S. schools has prompted calls for increased school safety measures; however, which policies contribute to safe school environments is often a topic of…

In recent decades, the number of school resource officers has exploded. In 2013, about 30 percent of schools had one, as compared to 1 percent in 1975, The New York Times reported in 2018. These officers have increasingly received attention in the wake of high-profile school shootings. Yet relatively little is known about them. Who are they? How…

In the wake of recent tragedies, campus security has become a hot issue nationwide. Campus libraries, as traditional meeting spots for varied groups of people, are particularly vulnerable to security issues. Safety and security problems that can occur at any library generally include theft, vandalism, arson, antisocial behavior, and assaults on…

Describes development of the school security program in the Denver Public Schools and offers suggestions for other schools, based on the experience in Denver. (Available from Security World Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 272, Culver City, CA 90230; $12.00 annually) (JG)

Designing a security system to meet the specific needs of an institution is a matter of professionalism. (Author)

Security in buildings ranges from simple locks to elaborate electronic systems. Most buildings do not need the level of sophistication it is possible to achieve. A survey of these products, however, is appropriate to appreciate their potential and variety. (Author/MLF)

The director of security for the Aurora Public Schools tells how the department he built has cut crime. (Author/MLF)

Three principles govern school security management: shared responsibility, prompt reporting, and proper planning. Specific strategies, called target-hardening strategies, exist to make schools safer places. This article offers several target-hardening techniques for protecting students, personnel, and property. (AN)

This report on safety in Minnesota's secondary and postsecondary schools assesses and evaluates the impact of existing laws and programs on school safety and anti-violence and recommends changes in law or policy to increase safety and curb violence. The report is based on a 1995-97 survey of postsecondary students, interviews with campus security…

The only security system that will work in today's school requires total involvement of all school personnel. Guards should be well-trained and a security alarm designed, installed, and maintained. (Author/MLF)

A discussion of computer theft prevention on college campuses looks at a variety of elements in electronic equipment security, including the extent of the problem, physical antitheft products, computerized access, control of key access, alarm systems, competent security personnel, lighting, use of layers of protection, and increasing…

A districtwide school safety project implemented in Saginaw, Michigan, in 1990-91, the third year of its operation, is evaluated in this report. The project is evaluated on the basis of the following objectives: employment and training of home-school liaison officers; establishment of an advisory council; development and implementation of…

Offers suggestions to school facilities departments on how to ensure student safety without impeding educational goals. Discusses popular misconceptions of violence in schools, the lack of quick fixes for school security, the implementation of security measures, how to form partnerships in crime prevention, and how to address safety concerns in…

This bulletin highlights how two-way radios are secured, maintained, and effectively used by school security officers, administrators, teachers, and students in New York City schools. Any school requiring faster, more comprehensive communications among security officers and school staff when incidents of violence, vandalism, and theft are imminent…

By offering police officers office spaces in school buildings at night, theft, break-ins, and vandalism can be deterred. Officers who must write up reports during patrol hours can utilize school facilities while remaining in radio contact with their dispatchers at police headquarters and on alert for further requests for asistance. The officers'…