School safety week 2024: practical tips for safer schools

Safe schools week: Practical ways to improve school safety

1. Enhance physical security

Improving physical security on school campuses is often the first step toward creating a safer school environment. Whether it’s responding to school violence, addressing student mental health concerns, managing severe weather events or handling other disruptions, your school’s security technology must support the safety and well-being of your students.

AI-powered school camera systems provide real-time awareness, detecting anomalies so your team can respond quickly. Video footage can also serve as critical evidence for locating lost items, missing students or identifying suspicious activity, with the ability to easily share video with law enforcement or first responders.

Integrating video security with access control systems further enhances safety by enabling schools to verify visitor identities through video feeds and prevent unauthorized access. If an alert is triggered, these systems allow security teams to remotely verify threats and initiate site lockdowns.

In privacy-sensitive areas like restrooms or locker rooms, smart sensors that detect vaping, smoking or abnormal noise levels can help identify bullying or aggression. These technologies offer a proactive approach to improving safety across all areas of the campus.

2. Develop a comprehensive school safety plan

During an emergency, every second counts. A comprehensive school safety plan that covers scenarios like severe weather to intruders can help ensure a swift, coordinated response. Regularly practicing these plans with students and staff improves their understanding of emergency protocols and helps them act quickly when needed.

When emergencies occur, real-time communication is essential. Technologies like two-way radios enable seamless communication between school staff, security teams and local authorities — even if cell reception is unavailable.

3. Prioritize prevention

Student mental health is a top concern for teachers and parents when it comes to school safety. As more school-aged children navigate mental health challenges, schools play a critical role in fostering a supportive and positive environment.

Creating a safe, nurturing space begins with early identification and intervention. By providing access to mental health resources like counselors or establishing partnerships with local health organizations, schools can help ensure students have a safe space to seek help when they need it.

4. Engage the wider community

Safer schools are built when students, staff, parents and local agencies work together, making safety a shared responsibility. For example, parents can provide valuable insights and support for school safety improvements, while local agencies can assist with safety drills, emergency planning and security consultations.

Partnerships with local law enforcement, in particular, can have a transformative impact on a school’s security approach. By building strong relationships between the officers and the school community, schools can foster a culture of transparency and open communication, promoting safety and student success.

5. Seek external support

Budgetary restrictions can make timely security upgrades challenging for school administrators. School safety grants from government agencies can help alleviate these financial pressures. Depending on the program, these grants may cover a variety of improvements, including security cameras, access control systems or other safety initiatives. The application process for grant funding can be competitive, so it’s important to review eligibility requirements and ensure your submission aligns with the grant guidelines to increase your chances of securing the funding.

Improving security at the Greater Dayton School with Avigilon

With a campus spanning 100,000 square feet, The Greater Dayton School (GDS) needed to update its legacy security system to help protect its students and staff. Motorola Solutions’ integrated security ecosystem, including AI-powered Avigilon Unity Video, Unity Access and TLK 100 radios, helped enhance situational awareness, streamline investigations and improve staff communication.

Conclusion

America’s Safe Schools Week is a timely reminder of the importance of proactive safety measures to protect students and staff. By enhancing physical security, developing comprehensive emergency plans and building a strong community, schools can become safer, more supportive environments for learning and growth.