Before Columbine, school security was entirely different. Threats of this source and magnitude weren't really imaginable. And the standard operating procedure for how security forces responded was entirely different. Not only did Columbine shatter our image of what threats are possible, it changed entirely, the recommended methods of response.
Let me cut to the chase of this blog entry. Summing it all up, the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township has not implemented recommended key facets of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) first responder standards, have laid off trained MSD Security Officers, and propose cutting the MSD Security Department down to one, maybe none. This irresponsible attitude toward the safety of Decatur's children while they are in school MUST be reversed.
In the High School, Superintendent Don Stinson has contracted with a private guard company whose personnel act as glorified hall monitors. They carry no weapons and they receive no DHS first responder training. Decatur Central High School is now the only High School in Marion County that does not have an armed and sworn Officer on premises for the protection of the students. I have mentioned much of this before in Decatur Central High School - Budget Cuts Target School Safety.
In his "Fiscal Restructuring Plan", Stinson proposes cutting the MSD Security budget by another $54,000 and possibly winnowing it down to one, or even zero, Officers. This is an outrage. The School District must protect the children from harm while they are in school. And they must be prepared to protect them from the worst scenarios. I doubt that the entire MSD Security budget, even before the cuts began last year, amounts to half of what Stinson pulls down every year. That entire amount needs to be restored so that we have trained professionals on our school campuses.
Let me give you a glimpse of how badly prepared our School District is to respond to a Columbine-like incident.
The response to the takeover of Columbine High School was the standard operating procedure at the time. Isolate. Contain. Negotiate. Analysis of the entire incident and an evaluation of the effectiveness of the response led to a complete nationwide overhaul of the recommended methods employed by first responders. After Columbine the recommendations for first responders became to react immediately. Get into the building as soon as possible once you are aware that there is an serious incident of violence playing out. Turn the attention of the 'active shooter' away from innocent lives and toward the armed responders. Incidents that followed Columbine - in Pearl, MS, and Jonesboro, AK - show that the sooner armed first responders can gain entry to the building, the sooner the attack on innocent lives stops.
So, training in first responder methods and standards recommended by the DHS is a MUST for our Security Officers in Decatur Schools. The contracted services of unarmed, untrained, glorified hall monitors does not meet that requirement.
How should the trained security officers respond? Well, simply put, the first thing is AS FAST AS POSSIBLE. To do that we need to have the full contingent of officers on the School District payroll and on campus. While IMPD will always be called and will always come running - being on the spot as soon as possible and being on the spot with folks who know the campus and are familiar with the buildings as soon as possible - is a MUST. Laying off our School Security Officers and reducing the department to only one person would be laughable, if this weren't such serious business.
Once on site, DHS recommends gaining entry from three different doors, simultaneously. That means you MUST have at least 3 first responders. At this point we have only two. If Stinson has his way, we will have only one. He calls it the 'Wayne Township model' - one full time officer and the remainder of the staff made up of moonlighting, off duty, IMPD officers. Only, that's not what the Wayne Township School District is doing. They have 4 full time Security Officers. We simply MUST return the Decatur Security Department to full staffing. That might cost another $50,000 - 75,000 a year. But, the priority MUST be on the safety of the students. PERIOD.
To gain entry from three different doors, simultaneously, you need at least 3 trained Security Officers with 3 master keys. Susan Adams, the highly paid Administrator whose role is to be the head custodian, has refused to provide the Security Department with a sufficient number of master keys to facilitate immediate entry as recommended by the DHS model. She refuses to provide all District Security Officers with keys in direct contradiction of DHS first responder methods. We MUST provide all of our Security Officers with master keys. Come on. It's NOT THAT HARD !
What is supposed to happen once the first contingent of IMPD Officers arrive on the scene? They, too, are trained in DHS first responder methods and standards -- but, they are not familiar with the layout of our schools. DHS recommends that all School Security Officers carry a 'SWAT box' in their police vehicles at all times. In this SWAT box are to be the floor plans for each and every school in the district. They can share these floor plans with the IMPD Officers. It is not difficult to see how very important this recommendation is. Also in the SWAT box are to be the master keys needed to gain entry to every school in the district. Not only does Susan Adams refuse to provide the master keys, she even refuses to provide the required floor plans. Oh, for the love of Pete ! What on earth is going on in this School District ? What part of "Department of Homeland Security first responder standards" is so hard to understand as important ? Why is Stinson allowing Susan Adams to refuse to hand over keys and floor plans to our first responders? Why is Stinson hell bent on gutting our District Security Department?
This petty, short sighted, crazy attitude toward the safety of Decatur's children MUST STOP. The cuts already implemented MUST be rolled back and no further cuts made. Keys MUST be provided to the District Security Officers. Floor plans MUST be provided to the District Security Officers. Stinson and his highly paid cronies like to say that the children are the priority. But, you sure cannot tell that by their actions.
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Resistance And The Environment
21 hours ago
26 comments:
Oh, this is the dumbest thing they could possibly do!
Guarantee you could walk into that High School and find some kind of weapon or drugs on the kids in that school.
Has this administration lost their mind????
Do you know if people have to sign up to speak tonight. Where is the published agenda for tomorrow night's meeting? Is the meeting a work session or a regular board meeting? Will any decisions be made about the budget cuts?
anon 12:11 - 'Has this administration lost their mind????' - I think their real priorities are showing. It isn't pretty.
anon 1:04 -- I am afraid I can offer little insight to your questions. If it were a regular school board meeting, yes you would have to sign up to speak. But, since it is expressly for public comment, they may not require it. But, then again, they might want the names of the speakers and signing in does provide that information.
I have not seen a published agenda for tomorrow night's meeting. It has always been considered a 'work session' and not a regular meeting. I believe that they cannot take a vote on any matter unless they have indicated that it is that type of meeting. So, to the best of my knowledge, which is not complete, they are barred from voting either tonight or tomorrow night.
I think they will bring the matter up for a vote at their next regularly scheduled board meeting on February 11.
If any of this blog's readers have better information on the meeting notices, please weigh in on this conversation.
Yes, per an automated phone call last night from Gary Pellico, you have to sign up to speak.
How many administrators are being sent to the national conference in Febuary in Phoenix, Arizona?????
Susan Adams is a waste of school money. Any admistrative assistant can do her job and probably for 1/3 of her current pay. She is never available, never answers her phone when there are weekend problems and when you do speak with her she gives very little help. Normally rude and speaks to you like you are wasting her time. I have wondered for the last few years how exactly she keeps her job? What does she have on someone that is keeping her there?
anon 2:41 -- thanks for the info.
anon 3:21 -- maybe the school board can answer that for you. They are supposed to approve such things.
anon 3:40 -- I wish I knew. For sure it is not her warm, bubbly, fun-to-be-around personality.
Looks like there are a lot of secrets about Susan Adams and others. There is so much fear.
For the first 220 years of our nation's history, schools did not need to have a costly, armed police officer in the schools, and we don't need one now. Rage shootings are an incredibly rare event. If the school feels an armed respone might be necessary, they should allow the school vice principle or the shop teacher to keep one in a locked place.
The posting of armed cops in schools has just resulted in an explosion of arrests of juveniles for things like fighting and smoking in the boys room. End this lunacy now.
The posting of armed cops in schools has just resulted in an explosion of arrests of juveniles for things like fighting and smoking in the boys room. End this lunacy now.
WRONG GET IT RIGHT!!!!!
No one gets arrested for smoking in the boys room, Its a smoking ticket get it right!!! and kids do not get arrested for fighting unless someone is hurt.
Here is a historical example--
12-4-07 Omaha Mall Shooting Westroads Mall, Robert Hawkins, 21
''Hawkins was charged in Sarpy County Juvenile Court with third-degree assault in connection with an October 2003 fight at Papillion-La Vista High School and with unlawful tobacco use by a minor at the school in September 2004.''
Here is a historical example--
12-4-07 Omaha Mall Shooting Westroads Mall, Robert Hawkins, 21
''Hawkins was charged in Sarpy County Juvenile Court with third-degree assault in connection with an October 2003 fight at Papillion-La Vista High School and with unlawful tobacco use by a minor at the school in September 2004.''
January 28, 2010 12:00 PM
ONCE AGAIN GET IT RIGHT!!!!!!
Decatur township schools are not in Papillion La Vista, they are located in Indianapolis In.
Possession of tobacco by a person under 18 is a ticket 35-46-1-10.5 its called a LAW
UR example, Robert Hawkins charged in juvenile court for assault in high school 2003, and then in 2004 unlawful tobacco in high school, then 2007 charged in a Mall shooting
lets see 2003, 2004, 2007
spells trouble to me
you might also ask yourself why is it that Susan is given free use of a Township truck, free truck, free gas, free insurance,
The point I am trying to make is that young people are not being served by having a law enforcement officer hovering over them all day. If all you have is a hammer, then everything starts to look like a nail.
In the old days, minor infractions would be handled in house. Now kids have to go to court, even if the offense is only a misdemeanor. We need to give kids the tools to succeed, not saddle them with a record for juvenile mischief.
And don't forget the heavy costs of having some tax feeder hang around school all day, doing mostly nothing.
starviego said...
In the old days, minor infractions would be handled in house. Now kids have to go to court, even if the offense is only a misdemeanor. We need to give kids the tools to succeed, not saddle them with a record for juvenile mischief.
And don't forget the heavy costs of having some tax feeder hang around school all day, doing mostly nothing.
ONCE AGAIN GET IT RIGHT
Sorry, but you do not know what you are talking about,
There are no school police officers walking around the schools looking for kids to arrest or give tickets to. They do not hang out in the rest rooms looking for kids smoking. The schools/teachers call the officers to give out the tickets when THEY (teachers)find students smoking or fighting or whatever.
starviego said
And don't forget the heavy costs of having some tax feeder hang around school all day, doing mostly nothing.
ONCE AGAIN GET IT RIGHT
The school's police officers or the city police officers HANG around all day because thats part of the job, stand by till needed.
By the way the pay sucks, plus money is lost out of the checks I think its called TAX
''The schools/teachers call the officers to give out the tickets when THEY (teachers)find students smoking or fighting or whatever.''
It's amazing that teachers in years gone by could handle these terrible problems without involving the armed agents of the state.
''The school's police officers or the city police officers HANG around all day because thats part of the job, stand by till needed.''
Stand by till needed, for example writing a ticket for smoking in the boys room, all for a mere 40k a year to the taxpayer. But let's not forget the costs to the taxpayer for court costs and administrative costs. What a deal for the taxpayer. No wonder this country is going bankrupt.
STARVIEGO ---- *YOU* are a FRICKIN IDIOT
What planet did you come from. Hope you don't have any kids in school, actually for that mater hope you don't have any kids. I'd hate to see more of your types on the loose.
Go ahead, "make my day" !!!!
Criminalizing normal juvenile mischief serves neither the kids nor the taxpayers. Stuff that used to be handled by a stern lecture or staying after class now must become the business of our bloated criminal 'justice' system.
Only the tax feeders and the social engineers rejoice.
starviego said...
Criminalizing normal juvenile mischief serves neither the kids nor the taxpayers. Stuff that used to be handled by a stern lecture or staying after class now must become the business of our bloated criminal 'justice' system.
Only the tax feeders and the social engineers rejoice.
LAST TIME GET IT RIGHT!!!!!!
you are talking about something you know nothing about, you are not there, you do not see what happens or what goes on in the school, so maybe you should just keep your comments to yourself.
In the OLD days teachers had the power, it was called a board to the back side of kids/students that were out of control, and Mom and Dad stood by the teacher no more, it does not happen.
So unless you want to come into the schools and walk the halls and learn the truth SHUT UP
Whoever Starviego is needs to get their facts straight before running their mouths. Sounds like a little anger management might be needed. The police are there for a reason to protect the children and that means protect them from other kids who cause problems, adults and other possible intruders. Joe Preda has let the school get out of control because of the atmosphere he wants to have a college atmosphere. Kids dress inappropriately and as my son has said you see more breasts at the high school than you do at the 500. Our police do a great job and are only called to make an arrest because of something that happened. If you refer to smoking in the bathroom could be someone started a fire in the bathroom while smoking...or on purpose to get out of class. So, should you let someone like go who may have put students in harms way? We need to save our police officers they are only cutting $54,000 which is a drop in the bucket compared to what Amin is paid. PLEASE THINK OF THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AND FIGHT TO KEEP THE POLICE OFFICERS IN OUR SCHOOLS.
I have seen it made mention in the comments several times that the school security are not needed and the teachers/admin should be handling these issues. My response to that would be, I agree with this, in a perfect world or even peaceful or respectful one. Unfortunately, the one I live is neither of those things. I would love to know who, without security, will protect the innocent children and ADULTS as well from some of the blatantly disrespectful and/or violent youth that attend our schools? Who will protect the educators, support staff, and administrators from not only physical danger but also legal and moral issues when they do take it upon themselves to handle the situation and they are accused of wrongdoing? Whether it be physically or verbally mishandling the situation, one never knows what an angry youth or parent will do or say. The school security serves this very important purpose as well. While I think it is sad that is has come to that, the fact is, it has. When you really think about it, not so long ago, when a student got in trouble that was that - the student was in trouble end of story. No one ever questioned the schools/teachers/admins/etc. While I am not saying that there have not been instances where there was wrongdoing on the part of a school (which does require us as parents to just make sure we are involved), too often we have parents questioning and accusing (many times in a belligerent -- sometimes violent -- fashion) the schools or other students of wrongdoing against their child. The vast majority of time it really just is that kid! This in turn (in most cases) teaches the kids that it is ok to treat the schools that way and creates the vicious ugly cycle we are in now. Take a look at how much the world around us has changed in the last 50 years and how police departments have had to change in accordance with that. Crimes have become more rampant and the world has become more accepting of it, many people do not want to take responsibility for the things they do to themselves or others. The atmosphere in schools (not just ours as I am CERTAIN you will find given you do the research)has fallen victim to these changes as well. Coupled with some parent's attitudes toward schools and authority, yes the security officers are an integral and necessary part of our schools. My guess is that if we spoke with some of these officers, they would tell us that they would like nothing more than NOT being needed in a school - job or no job.
This is the kind of police-state lunacy you people are endorsing. Don't come crying to me when it happens to your kid--
Boy charged with felony for carrying sugar
February 11, 2006
A 12-year-old Aurora(Illinois) boy who said he brought powdered sugar to school for a science project this week has been charged with a felony for possessing a look-alike drug, Aurora police have confirmed.
"This is getting ridiculous," said the boy's mother. "They treated my son like a criminal. .. . This is no way to treat a 12-year-old kid."
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12-yr old Girl Charged With Battery for giving another kid a fat-lip during a 'dodge-ball' type game.
ALTA LOMA, Calif. -- What started as a version of the schoolyard game of dodge ball has apparently become a legal ordeal for a 12-year-old girl and her family.
The girl kicked a ball that hit a boy who wore braces, giving him a fat lip.
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Young Girl Facing Charges After Wetting Pants
(AP) DANVILLE, Pa. A 12-year-old special education student in Montour County was charged with disorderly conduct after authorities said she deliberately wet her pants at school...
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wcbstv.com/topstories/loc...70448.html
A 13-year-old girl was handcuffed and placed under arrest in front of her classmates in Dyker Heights after she wrote "Okay" on her desk.
...she's been charged with criminal mischief and the making of graffiti. Then she was handcuffed and led out of the school in front of her classmates and placed in the back of a police car.
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www.newswithviews.com/Bet...auf104.htm
"Yamhill County, Oregon District Attorney Brad Berry is charging two seventh graders, Ryan Cornelison and Cory Mashburn, ages 12 and 13, who attend Patton Middle School in McMinnville, Oregon with five counts of sex abuse in the third degree which are class A misdemeanors for butt whacking.
"....this charge requires sex offense registration if convicted. If they would be convicted of more than one of the three accounts, they would never be able to get out of the registration. .....
"In the case of Ryan and Cory of McMinnville, Oregon, according to their attorneys, the minor infraction of these young boys was treated as a criminal offense. .....The policies of the juvenile facilities in Yamhill County allowed the boys a 15-minute visit from behind glass with their parents two days after they were placed in the facility. They were allowed no phone contact. The parents were beside themselves.
"The other attorney, Rachel Negra, said it was scary. The boys, who had been Mirandized, were visibly shaken and stripped searched multiple times after they met with the attorneys to make sure they werent carrying any contraband back.
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http://www.nypost.com/seven/03102008/news/regionalnews/public_enemy_no_1_101271.htm
March 10, 2008
-- The parents of two Bronx preschoolers are suing the city, charging that their kids were tossed out of class - and handcuffed by a school-safety officer - for refusing to take a nap. ... the school-safety officer entered the room, cuffed the boys' wrists - and further terrified them by telling they that they would never see their parents again.
Okay starviego - you have made your points. Thank you for your input.
Very few people want excessively harsh treatment of students by any authority figures. Very few people want over the top charges leveled on student. Very few people don't care if accusations of misdeeds are not true. Look at how our society is coming to terms with sexting. I think it demonstrates an overarching desire to be reasonable with youth.
If one of our school security officers did any of those things, they should be dismissed, in my opinion.
But, there is a lot of distance on the spectrum of behavior between no security presence and a security presence that works to pull kids back from the wrong path - gently most of the time and firmly when needed to protect them or the other folks in the building - and which is PREPARED for the worst.
Nothing you have said here has convinced me to change my premise that the Decatur School District has an obligation to protect the children in their care by having a full contingent of security officers on our payroll that is fully trained in DHS first responder methods and fully equipped with DHS recommended first responder materials.
Again, thanks for you comments. You have made some valid points. Now lets just agree to disagree, please.
starviego said...
Criminalizing normal juvenile mischief serves neither the kids nor the taxpayers. Stuff that used to be handled by a stern lecture or staying after class now must become the business of our bloated criminal 'justice' system. Only the tax feeders and the social engineers rejoice. January 28, 2010 9:28 PM
Well, guess what. We (the teachers) aren't allowed to do after school detention. No funding for busses or staff, and in Decatur Township inconveniencing a parent might as well be a sin. We have to celebrate kids showing up for a full week of school instead! (I wish I was joking). You can't retain, you can barely get in-school suspension for the worst offenders and in some schools the principal makes the teachers change the report card grade if the parent is a whiner. There's nothing for troublemakers to fear, and they'll tell you that to your face.
I say put the cop in charge of in-school suspension - no more hugs or sympathetic ears. Get the almost-(or already)criminals out of the classroom so the other kids have a fighting (no pun intended) chance to learn! Then you have a trained, possibly armed, first responder on the scene. And they'll probably already know the shooters name. Given all the white-collar stuff being hidden by Decatur admin, can you guess how many weapons-related stories never make the paper? Many people actually don't want to know - until THEIR kid gets shot.
''We (the teachers) aren't allowed to do after school detention.''
Of course not. That might actually prevent the kids from filling a quota in the court system later. And the system wants more bodies!
''We have to celebrate kids showing up for a full week of school instead!''
Once again, this is part of the agenda; in this case demoralizing the kids by rewarding them for minor achievements that require no effort, all under the banner of increasing 'self esteem.'
''There's nothing for troublemakers to fear....''
They want classrooms to be disrupted. No learning must take place, the other kids get to see there is no point in behaving, and the troublemaker eventually becomes another body in the system when his behavior later catches up to him.
''no more hugs''
Hugging is already against the rules in many schools. The children must learn to obey arbitrary rules than make no sense. All part of the demoralization process.
Look up an author called Charlotte Iserbyte. She was an educator who wrote a book exposing the true aims of the educational system--and it's NOT teaching children.
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