The single most important thought when securing our schools is maintaining an open, supportive environment that is conducive to learning. School security directors all too often worry that their campuses will become “prisons” if a well-thought-out design or renovation does not take into account the purpose of the facility. As security professionals, this is our primary concern and at the forefront of any security solution we would recommend. Securing educational facilities continues to be a challenge as communities, school districts, law enforcement, and security professionals struggle to preserve our nation’s educational model. The balance between an engaging learning environment and a secured learning environment continues to be sought, though as we see more improvement and innovation in security technologies, this balance is becoming more easily achieved. Facial recognition, gunshot detection, and automated response technologies are several security technologies that can improve a school’s ability to detect and respond to violent acts while remaining in the background, nearly unnoticeable by students and faculty.
Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) is not new to our society, but innovating its concepts is surely a task for today’s security professional. When applying CPTED principles to a school setting, a security professional should take the following into consideration: