OVERVIEW OF
CAMPUS SAFETY AND SECURITY
KEY COMMUNICATORS ASSEMBLY
FEBRUARY 13, 2013
Joseph L. Parks, J.D.
Executive Director, Safety and Security Services
Lieutenant (Retired) Plano Police Department (1986-2005)
WHAT’S ON THE AGENDA?
• Introduction to District Safety and
Security Services
• Putting Sandy Hook Into Perspective
• Campus Security Features
• Moving Forward
• Questions
1
OVERVIEW OF PISD
SAFETY AND SECURITY SERVICES
SAFETY AND SECURITY SERVICES
The District Security
Team
District K-9 Teams
Emmett Smith/Kaki (Narcotics)
Charlette Gabriel / Alley (Explosives)
2
QUIET AND UNASSUMING,
INDEED
But we can bring it . . .
YOUR PISD SAFETY & SECURITY TEAM
3
PISD SAFETY AND SECURITY SERVICES
Twelve (12) professional and administrative staff
members providing comprehensive safety and security
services for the District’s 55,000 students and 6,500
employees, including:
• Responding to and addressing day-to-day safety and
security concerns of 71 campuses and 14 other District
facilities located in Plano, Dallas, Richardson, Murphy
and Allen.
• Coordinating the School Liaison Officer program and
special event security District-wide.
• Two K-9 / handler teams (narcotics and explosives
detection)
• State-mandated campus safety audits.
• Emergency preparedness and security training for staff
• Liaison between District and local, state and federal
agencies
PISD SAFETY AND SECURITY SERVICES
CONTINUED:
• Maintain District’s security systems, including
access control, burglar alarms, fire alarms, fire
suppression systems, and the District’s
network of over 4,000 security cameras.
• Fingerprint all applicants, and annually
conducting criminal history checks of over
20,000 applicants, contractors, and volunteers.
• Conduct internal investigations into alleged
policy violations and serious incidents.
• Open Records requests
4
SECURITY SPECIALISTS
“Where the Rubber Meets the Road”
SECURITY SPECIALISTS
• Not police officers or security guards
• Advice and assistance to principals on all
areas of safety and security
• Respond behind law enforcement to
urgent incidents
• Conduct internal investigations
• Liaison to law enforcement, CPS, DA’s
office, Juvenile Probation
5
SANDY HOOK
This is What’s On Everyone’s Mind . . .
NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT
SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY
6
SANDY HOOK IN PERSPECTIVE:
• School shootings are very rare events
• Our schools are no less safe today than they were
pre-Sandy Hook.
• 93,000 K-12 schools in the U.S. / 55 million
students
• 2012 School Shooting Deaths: 37 nationwide
• 2012 Traffic Fatalities: 32,000 nationwide
• Each of us was 171 times more likely to die in car
accident driving to this meeting than die in a
school shooting.
SECURITY FEATURES
OF OUR CAMPUSES
7
SECURITY FACTS AND FEATURES
• Locked exterior doors with remote unlock feature
• Strict visitor access policies that require visitors to present
ID and be checked thru RAPTOR visitor management
system, and wear visitor ID badge.
• Strict policies requiring each employee to wear his/her ID
badge for rapid identification by first responders as an
employee.
• Emergency “panic alarm” buttons in each school for rapid
notification of law enforcement.
• Emergency 2-way radio at each campus to allow emergency
communications.
• Regular drills for: lockdown, fire/evacuation,
tornado/disaster and emergency radio use.
SECURITY FACTS AND FEATURES
(CONTINUED)
• District-wide network of over 4,400 security cameras that
can serve as a deterrent and source of evidence.
• A full-time liaison police officer at each high school and
senior high school – all with ongoing specialized training in
Active Shooter response tactics.
• Provide annual safety and security update training to
campus administrators
• Provided online training on: (a)Visual Detection of Weapons;
and (b) Campus Intruders to all campus staff
• Provided security procedures training to all campus office
staff
8
SECURITY FACTS AND FEATURES
(CONTINUED)
• Very close working relationship with local law enforcement
agencies who stand ready to bring all available resources to
bear in the event of a critical incident.
• District Security recently participated in a joint-tabletop
discussion exercise with Plano PD and Plano FD – active
shooter scenario
• Plano PD average response time to Priority 1 incident is 4
minutes and 45 seconds; Murphy PD averages 1 minute and
6 seconds.
• District Security works very closely with both law
enforcement and Student and Family Services to address
threats involving students and/or campuses.
OUTSIDE CONSULTANT
SAFETY AND SECURITY AUDITS
• Citing our campus access controls, an
outside consultant retained for most
recent round of security audits
concluded: “Plano ISD is the most
safety and security conscious District
we have audited over the past 6 years
(over 200+ districts) . . . “
9
MANY WELL INTENTIONED
SUGGESTIONS AND “WHAT IF’S”
Assault rifle?
Multiple assailants?
Students are outside?
Students are inside?
What if, what if?
WHAT IF HE HAS A MILITARY TANK?
(1995 – SAN DIEGO, CA.)
10
MORE SECURITY: CAN YOU STILL
USE YOUR SCHOOL AS A SCHOOL?
• Campus security is a balancing act of
maximizing safety while still allowing the
campus to be used for its intended purpose
– educating students.
• Making schools 100% impervious to any
threat will render them unusable as places
for education to take place.
WE ARE REVIEWING SECURITY
TO IDENTIFY REASONABLE
IMPROVEMENTS THAT ENHANCE
SAFETY BUT STILL ALLOW OUR
SCHOOLS TO OPERATE AS SCHOOLS.
• Adding security personnel at the campus level?
• Architectural security improvements to campus
entrances?
• Additional Use of Technology?
• Revisions to interior doors/locks?
• Additional required drills?
• Requiring Student ID Cards?
11
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
• The most basic, most important thing we can ask of
parents, staff and students is to be VIGILANT.
• Don’t second guess your suspicions.
• Hear or see something that concerns you? Bring it to
attention of the campus (or call 9-1-1 if emergency).
• Understand that campus security and access control
may be inconvenient, but is necessary.
• Support your school staff when they enforce entry
points, visitor check in, wearing of ID badges.
•
Current attention on the “threat de jour” must not cause us
to let our guard down to “lesser” more probable threats.
QUESTIONS?
12
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
© COPYRIGHT MMXIII
JOSEPH L. PARKS – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
• Void where prohibited.
• If you experience blurred or blue vision, discontinue use
and contact your physician immediately.
• No purchase necessary – must be present to win.
• No animals were harmed during the making of this
production.
• Employees of Plano ISD and their family members are
not eligible to win.
• Tax, title and license not included.
13