School boards and districts across the country are investigating how to best protect their students and staff. Some options available to them include school resource officers (SROs) who are law enforcement officers responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools assigned from local precincts, proprietary security officers directly hired by the district they serve, or contract security officers brought on board through a security firm.
While district officials and Board members ultimately elect what security program to enlist, there are many stakeholders, including the students, faculty, as well as the community by and large. And there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to choosing the appropriate security program. Each program is tailored to the needs and budgets of the school district.
In order to offer perspectives on school safety and security, we routinely field questions at school board meetings to provide as much objective information as possible to the community, educating them about how armed security could work in their schools. “Our team has attended several school board meetings recently to discuss some of the issues surrounding this topic, including the logistics of armed security in an academic setting and how to allay the fears of students, parents, and community members when addressing this sensitive topic” explains Michael Mullady, Vice President of Protective Services, Arrow Security.
When a security program is put in place, an open line of communication is maintained with the school board and community before a single officer steps onto the premises, to alleviate concerns and to provide accurate information to them about their program.
While hiring security guards through a private security firm may seem like a costly solution, in many ways it can be a more fiscally responsible option compared to SROs. Many aspects of employing and managing the security officers fall under the responsibility of the private security firm as opposed to the school district.
- If a district is electing to consider armed guards, making sure they have law enforcement experience is a key consideration; so they not only possess security training, but have also gained extensive training and experience in de-escalation techniques, crisis management, and conflict resolution while on the job. At Arrow, we offer these and more than 200 training courses not only for our guards, but for guards across the region.
- Required licenses and certifications, such as a Security Guard License or Concealed Carry Permit (if armed) must be monitored and renewed as necessary.
- If considering an outside contract security firm, a key benefit is the diffusion of responsibility for the expense of liability insurance premiums. Having an armed guard on school grounds necessitates specific requirements regarding the type and amount of liability insurance coverage needed.
- In addition, security guards are covered by the private security firm employing them. They are responsible for the cost of benefits and salaries for the guards, not the educational institution. Compared to full-time proprietary security or even SROs, contract security guards can be scaled up or down depending on the needs of the district; another benefit to managing the expense of such programs.
While most districts do not finalize budgets until the Spring, now is the perfect time to begin the discussion about the options available to you. At Arrow Security, we’re happy to have an open and consultative discussion to ensure you have the facts about the different security programs available to you. To learn more, feel free to email us at info@arrowsecurity.com.
About Arrow
Arrow Security, established almost 40 years ago, is a leading guarding services company which has provided educational clients across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with both armed and unarmed resources, and the technology necessary to achieve a superior security program.