SCHOOL SECURITY: GETTING IT RIGHT

As part of my research on school shootings, several years ago I spent nearly an hour discussing campus security with the Chief of University Police, State University of New York—Oneonta (SUNY—Oneonta). What I learned was impressive. If every school in this country had a well thought out and run security plan like the one at Oneonta, our school grounds would be far, far safer places.

The campus security at SUNY-Oneonta is a police department; therefore its officers carry weapons. The Regional Police Academy is tied to the campus police department. The academy runs a wide variety of specialized law enforcement courses, trains new officers, and trains officers to be instructors.

SUNY-Oneonta campus has had an emergency plan in place since 1994, but since the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the school has tightened and improved campus security. The chief began by telling me that it is against the law to bring a weapon of any kind on a school campus in New York. That law covers both state and private schools. Indeed, every state university in New York is required to have an emergency plan in place, and the Oneonta and Binghamton campuses are the first to meet the state’s standard for security. Highlights of the SUNY—Oneonta plan include:

ü  The ability to lockdown every building on campus (with the exception of the gym) with four strokes on the computer keyboard. There is a radio system in all buildings for emergency use.

ü  Blue prints of all campus buildings are on hand in police headquarters in case of an emergency.

ü  A Behavioral Assessment Team that meets every week to discuss student problems and activities. The group is made up of the campus Chief of Police, the Director of Counseling, the Director of Residence Life, the Associate Vice President for Judicial Affairs, the Vice President of Student Development, and the Health Center Director.

ü  The Chief of Police has the power to act immediately and to take whatever action he deems necessary if an individual is thought to be a danger to himself or herself or others.

ü  A campus-wide siren for notification that there is an emergency on campus.

ü  The school has the ability to notify all students, staff, and faculty of an emergency through NY ALERT—a cell phone/email/text messaging system. All New York State University campuses will have this system within the near future.

ü  SUNY—Oneonta will soon have in place a video and card access system for all campus buildings.

ü  SUNY—Oneonta has bought and installed a sophisticated key system for all buildings. The keys cannot be duplicated.

ü  The school gives its officers extensive training through a variety of courses including Active Shooter Course and Patrol Officers Course.

ü  SUNY—Oneonta has hired a full-time Emergency Management Coordinator.

ü  The school is linked to major criminal data bases in Albany.

ü  The school regularly reviews its crime prevention security analysis for all campus buildings.

ü  The University Police Department has an ambulance on hand, on campus.

ü  It is a state law that university police departments on state affiliated schools must have a Memorandum of Understanding with the state police on immediate emergency response responsibilities and actions. SUNY-Oneonta has such a memorandum and maintains close ties with the New York State Police and the city of Oneonta Police Department.

ü  Students are given a full security briefing as part of their campus orientation.

Each staff and faculty member has at her or his desk a bright orange Crisis Management folder for immediate and easy reference. The folder contains phone numbers and contacts. The subjects covered are:

a)    Emergency Responses—Shelter in Place, Notification, and Building Evacuation.

b)   Reporting an Emergency on Campus—Bomb Threat, Fire, Accident or Medical Emergency.

c)    Threats of Physical Harm from a Person or Persons—Threats by Email, Text Message, Phone, or Note—Threatening or Aggressive Behavior, and Policies and Procedures.

d)   Student Emergencies—Disturbed or Disturbing Emotional Behavior, Serious Illness or Injury, Threatening or Irrational Behavior, Crime in Progress or has been Committed, and Sexual Assault.

(To be continued)