School Safety Tips
Our school safety expert, Office Wayne Jones of the San Jose Police Department, gave us a few tips that should prove helpful for your school’s safety. He encourages each schools’ facilities manager to have a site security survey done on your campus at least one a year to address any related security needs you may have.
Signage: ensure that all entrances have signs directing all visitors to first report to the front office. These signs may also mention that trespassing during school hours is prohibited as are skateboarding, loitering, etc. on school premises.
Access Control: make sure that you can control access through means of fencing, landscaping, signage, and the built-in environment.
Surveillance: Allow for good visibility throughout the school campus. Administrators should be able to monitor student activities from all areas of the campus. Due to some school building design, Closed Circuit Video Systems may be suitable to assist in surveillance.
Lighting: check to see that proper lighting is placed throughout the campus. Lights should be clearly mounted over doors and window openings. Do regular surveys to ensure that lights are functioning at night. You may want to add motion sensor lighting or timers on your lights. If you are debating over the lighting on your campus, contact your school security consultant for assistance.
Landscaping: School landscape should not block doorways, walkways or windows. Shrubs should not exceed the height of 42 inches or about three feet and tree canopies should be trimmed to a seven-foot height.
Audits: Every school should have a record of written yearly audits kept on file.
| 
