American School Districts Take Advantage of Grants to Boost Security

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We’re now 20 months since the Sandy Hook shooting and many schools across the country are putting the final touches on advanced security measures to keep campuses safe from violent threats. Schools in Loudon County, Virginia are joining the Department of Homeland Security’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, while a middle school in nearby Rockville, Maryland sports a brand new door access control system that resembles something out of a penitentiary. From The Washington Post:

“All doors are locked after the morning bells ring. Those who arrive once the schoolday begins must buzz to get in, and they are video-recorded as they speak into an intercom.”

Many of these security upgrades are funded by federal or state grants. The intercom and door access control system in Rockville is part of a district-wide project funded by a $9 million grant from the state and county. School across the country are adding more cameras, buzzers, panic buttons, metal detectors, and resource officers in an effort to prevent the next Sandy Hook.

While the upgrades are popular with most parents and teachers, they’re not without their critics:

“Experts point out that schools are one of the safest places for children and say security upgrades should be driven by factual assessments, not fear.”

It’s fair to question whether raising children in a surveillance environment will alter their development. There’s also a debate between security and liberty, and whether these changes satisfy one, both, or neither. The real question — and it’s one we should hope never has to be answered — is whether these security improvements will be successful in preventing deaths.

Take a look at the Post article (linked again below) and let us know what you think.