School safety has become an increasing concern for families, communities, school boards and lawmakers over the past decade. Considering the disturbing rise of violence in schools, school safety programs across the country have begun to come under much-needed scrutiny. As a leading experts in the fields of security and investigations, the team at JCI is uniquely qualified to assess the safety of educational facilities.
JCI was founded by former NYPD Chief John W. Cutter, who oversaw all counter-terrorism related activities within the intelligence division of the NYPD, as well as the NYPD international and national liaison programs. He was also designated the commanding officer of the New York/New Jersey Regional Intelligence Center, a multi-agency command center which collected, analyzed and distributed intelligence materials from a local, state and federal level. After retiring from public service and moving into the private sector, he was the lead proponent in developing the intelligence fusion center that was utilized during the 2004 Republican National Convention. While John was involved in the counter-terrorism and intelligence communities, he gained an extensive knowledge of security programs and protocols, which he now believes can have an immense impact on school safety.
case study: How JCI conducted a real school safety assessment in ny
1. Review of prior security assessments
To begin, JCI performed a complete and thorough review of a prior assessment that was done at the school. This included a meticulous review of their existing documents, as well as reviewing the updates that had been made as a result of the prior assessment. Once a full picture of the existing protocols was established, we evaluated the effectiveness of those updates and recommendations.
2. in-depth Vulnerability and Security Assessment
Once it was determined that a more up-to-date assessment needed to be conducted, we began with observations of the area in which the school was located, a thorough inspection of the structure itself, and arrival and dismissal practices. Physical security devices and/or systems were also examined for functionality and adequacy. Relevant management and security personnel were interviewed briefly, in order to establish the nature and extent of the current security profile at the school. The profile of the school within the community was evaluated, as were the nature and criticality of the school’s day–to-day functions (as they related to security).
Throughout the entire process, we took every possible measure to maintain the sanctity of the school as a safe haven and learning environment. We understand that each school is unique, and we always aim to develop a program where the students, parents and faculty can feel confident that they are in an open healthy learning environment while being fully secure and safe from potential violence.
During our assessment at this New York school and at every school, we consider any history of prior security related problems at the school, as well as events from around the world that could have an impact on the daily operation. In addition, potential unforeseen threat scenarios were considered that could eventually have an adverse effect on the school’s operations. In this case, perceived threats were identified, and the adequacy of the existing security profile to protect the students and staff was deemed inadequate.
3. Evaluation of Security Staff
The process by which the security staff was evaluated consisted of a layered approach. All security personnel – from the director to part time security officers – were interviewed. We also conducted observations of the staff performing their day-to-day responsibilities, as well as during active drills conducted at the school. We checked each officer’s New York State license to ensure it was valid, and ascertain the various training courses they received prior to assignment at the school.
4. Review of Policies and Procedures
Existing security policies, procedures and protocols were identified, reviewed and evaluated, including emergency action plans and post-incident plans This included written manuals, day-to-day procedures, and several existing emergency manual wall hangings. Redesign or development of policies and procedures was deemed necessary to follow industry standards and government guidelines.
5. Implementation And Training
Once we completed our detailed profile, we developed our recommendations for improvements to the existing security profile at the school. The goal of our recommendations was to decrease the vulnerability of the students and staff at the school as much as possible, in a reasonable and cost-effective manner.
After working closely with school officials to finalize their new safety program, we utilized certified trainers to design and implement a training regimen for the school’s personnel. The training classes were designed specifically for each of the various departments in the school, including security staff, faculty, administration and support staff. The level of training varied for each department based on need, with security officers requiring the most extensive training.
All departments received relevant, clear directives on how to incorporate safety measures into their day-to-day operations, as well as what to do in emergency situations. We designed simple, easy to read manuals with supplemental information for each department so that they could easily refresh and continue their training after our work with the facility was done. Finally, we redesigned the emergency manual wall hangings throughout the school, making them more user-friendly and easier to read during an incident. The new safety measures were implemented seamlessly into life at the school, without undue interruption or stress to staff or students.
