Schools Add Security Following Serious Threats Around the Country
Threats around the country have prompted schools to add security measures on campus.
- By Sydny Shepard
- March 06, 2018
The threat of an active shooter on campus is only growing as the amount of incidents on American schools increases in 2018. While the 18th instance of gun violence on a campus, the Parkland, Fla. shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was the most deadly, it definitely was not the last time a school would see a shooter inside an educational facility.
Just last week, Central Michigan University was placed on lockdown after a student shot and killed his parents inside the residence hall in which he lived. The student was later found and arrested after nearly a day on the run.
These all-too-common incidents of gun violence have prompted schools around the country to take threats and tips from parents, faculty and students more seriously, ending with boosted security measures and more armed security officers on campuses.
Here are a few campuses that have boosted their security following a threat at their school.
Excelsior Springs High School - Excelsior Springs, Mo.
Additional security has been added to Excelsior Springs High School after a threat to the campus was identified on social media.
According to a post on the high school's Facebook page, the threat was deemed not credible but members of the community were concerned following a Snapchat that began to circulate among students. Out of an abundance of caution, the school decided to boost campus security.
In order to ensure the safety of students there will be an increased police presence at the high school as a precautionary measure.
Manatee County Schools - Manatee County, Fla.
Armed officers will now be in every single Manatee County elementary school, plus a security at each high school starting March 5. District leaders said the move to increase security was in response to the South Florida shooting last month.
The plan is for the officers to be permanent, but for now, they are stationed until the end of the school year, said Mike Barber, Communications Director for Manatee County Schools.
Within this first school year, the district will spend about $400,000 to add those additional officers to 32 elementary schools.
Rooftop Elementary School - San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco police officers and school security guards will be limiting access and stepping up patrols are Rooftop Elementary School in San Francisco's Twin Peaks neighborhood after an adult who allegedly made threats against the school and staff was released from jail.
The school kept students in classrooms immediately after the threats, then eased the restrictions slightly, allowing students to move between classrooms but limiting access to the campuses.
“There is no reason to believe these threats are credible, but we are certainly taking them seriously given what the current climate is,” district spokeswoman Gentle Blythe said.
About the Author
Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.