School Protection

Violence in Aurora schools and amongst young people across the nation has increased at an alarming and unacceptable rate in recent years with school districts searching for ways to cope with and manage the problem. We see incidents all over the News.

A school and campus security plan is needed by each and every school’s administration to manage a safe and secure environment. The first major step toward providing effective school security is to develop a written security and loss prevention plan for the district. This plan should be developed with the assistance of trained security professionals beginning with an assessment, identifying deficiencies, recommending improvements, and finally developing an action plan for implementation.

Security Assessment

Aurora Campus Security Assessments should be conducted to identify crime risks, vulnerabilities, and other problems to determine the extent to which the campus and its users are vulnerable; and to take appropriate measures to improve security or to plan for changes / upgrades in security-related programs, procedures and equipment.

Assessment Considerations

Assessments should be conducted by professional security consultants and should address:
  • The Immediate Neighborhood
  • Campus Boundaries
  • Open Spaces
  • Building Exterior
  • Building Interior
  • Key Recommendations for Security Improvements

Data Collection & Analysis

  • Review of crimes occurring in the immediate area
  • Knowledge of the crime patterns in the surrounding area allows for proactive prevention planning
  • Review history of school safety/security incidents
  • Interviews of Administrators, Faculty & Staff
  • Offer insight into the school climate and potential solutions
  • Examine existing security practices
  • Review current policies & procedures
  • Analyze unwritten security practices
  • Determine security accountability during school hours & during extracurricular activities
  • Examine relationship between school district and local law enforcement
  • Review ancillary information
  • Hours of security coverage
  • Organizational structure of security function
  • Extracurricular activity plans
  • Disaster, emergency & crisis plans
  • The Immediate Neighborhood
  • Are adjoining properties compatible with educational uses
  • Are there crime generators in the immediate neighborhood
  • Is the campus used for recreational / civic purposes

Campus Boundaries

  • Are adjoining properties that are adverse to educational use, separated by screening or barriers
  • Are campus boundaries clearly identified
  • Are entrances to the campus limited

Open Spaces

  • Is the campus designed to provide vehicle access around buildings for security / police patrols & other emergency vehicles
  • Is crime-preventative landscaping used
  • Do fencing materials allow for visibility & natural surveillance
  • Are access devices or common keys used for gates & building locks to allow for quick access
  • Are the building exteriors and surrounding grounds illuminated
  • Is the campus posted with No Trespassing signage
  • Are parking lots designed to discourage cruising
  • Are speed bumps & other obstacles used to deter speeding
  • Do faculty / staff & students park in the same lots
  • Are the parking lots monitored / supervised
  • Do students have access to vehicles during school hours

Building Exterior

  • Is ingress authorized through as few doors as possible
  • Are all doors posted with No Trespassing, inspection, and visitor notice signs or decals
  • Are access control devices installed on doors frequently used for exit & reentry by staff, so that they’re not propped open

Building Interior

  • Are signs conspicuously posted notifying visitors that they must report to the Building Office or other area upon entering
  • Are Visitor’s Passes issued & is the procedure enforced
  • Is the entry & movement of people in the building limited and supervised
  • Is CCTV used in halls, cafeterias, stairwells & other areas where deterrence is necessary
  • Are Hall Passes or Tardy Passes required for students who are tardy or in hallways when classes are in session
  • Are cafeterias, multi-purpose areas, offices, science labs, music rooms, shops, supply rooms, library / media centers, gyms, pools and locker rooms locked & secured when not in use

Assessment Findings and conclusions

  • Identification of risks
  • Discussion of existing conditions
  • Determination of degree of vulnerability
  • Identification of perceived problems
  • Identification of real problems
  • A written summary of planning and meeting to update and develop as needed.

Call True Security Inc in Aurora for any questions you may have.