Chicago-Area School Hires First Security Director

Chicago-Area School Hires First Security Director

West Aurora School District hires officer to increase security

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • November 29, 2018

Chicago-area school district West Aurora District 129 for the first time has hired a security officer to oversee campus security. Superintendent Jeff Craig introduced Officer Kevin Triplett to parents, students and faculty in a podcast distributed on the district website.

The West Aurora School District was one of several districts in 2015 to adopt a nationwide active shooter or intruder protocol called ALICE, which is a change in response from when students and teachers were instructed to hide in classrooms, lock doors and turn off the lights. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. 

The new security director has been developing plans and implementing strategies such as ALICE since he was hired on July 1. Triplett will oversee safety drills, address safety concerns at the different buildings and develop communication measures for parents with students.

As soon as he was hired, Triplett conducted training for all district administrators and has conducted safety school drills. 

Superintendent Craig said times have changed since he began his career as an educator 28 years ago.

"We didn't need to have safe vestibules, identification placards or badges to enter a building. This is a whole new premise about keeping students and staff safe and it is a priority. It is challenging and at times frustrating but it is not going away," Craig said.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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