Dear Colleague

Chapter 1

TIMES

The problems outlined here and the procedures aimed at dealing with them apply to all schools and staff members. Each part of the school day presents a distinct set of problems. The three most critical times are the morning when faculty and pupils enter the building, the lunch periods and the afternoon dismissal.

MORNING

Your school safety plan should include morning procedures, beginning with the first activity of the day. There are three distinct dangers in the morning:

Early morning crime, in which teachers and other staff members are victimized in or around nearly deserted school buildings. Any building is simply not safe when it is empty. A person is more vulnerable when alone than at any other time. Here are some tips to follow:

Don’t be a "too early bird." Some of the most serious attacks on school staff members occur during the hour before school opens.
Don’t arrive before the safety officers begin their work day.
Come to school in pairs or by car pool.
Remain in areas where you are within eyesight or earshot of other staff members.

Intruders gaining access to the school during breakfast and other early morning programs. Even if the main entrance is secure, there are often unmonitored doors. These suggestions should help:

Monitor every door used as an entrance.
The safety plan must cover morning programs, including the assignment of safety officers.
Pupils entering the building.
Establish "Go" and "No Go" areas in school yards and lobbies for parents and others dropping off students. Some schools have put up signs to indicate drop-off areas.
Establish a post-entry patrol and door check procedures that direct security or other staff to make sure that every non-main entrance door is locked to the outside.

LUNCHTIME

During lunch periods, the following factors create security concerns:

The need for safety in schoolyards and play areas.
The management of large numbers of students in cafeterias or lunchrooms.
The isolation of individual staff members in classrooms, lounges and other areas.

Schoolyards: Schoolyards can imperil both children and staff. Criminals view these areas simply as extensions of the streets. Schoolyards often become arenas for confrontations between students and parents, children and parents, and parents and UFT members. Follow these guidelines:

The school safety plan must contain provisions for schoolyard security.
Staff on yard duty should have communication devices such as radios or cordless phones so they can remain in contact with security staff within the building.
Schoolyard fences should be maintained and secured to deny access to intruders.
If necessary, a school safety officer may be assigned to yard duty provided he or she is accompanied by a member of the professional staff.
When the lunch period ends, the re-entry of students should be supervised to keep out possible intruders.
A post-entry patrol and door check should then take place.

Student Cafeterias and Lunchrooms: The concentration of large numbers of students in the cafeteria poses potential danger. The slightest scuffle or the most minor verbal exchange can escalate into a major disturbance resulting in serious injuries.

An adequate number of properly supervised personnel must be present in the cafeteria.
A system of communication and a rapid response plan must be in place. There must be access to phones, intercoms, public address systems and/or bullhorns.
Changes in the configuration and size of furniture in eating areas can reduce the potential for danger. The partitioning of a large area into small dining sections and the use of attached table and chair units have succeeded in increasing security.

Staff Lunchtime: Isolation can be very dangerous. While staff may seek peace and quiet after a difficult morning, safety should not be sacrificed for solitude. Follow these precautions:

Eat in the company of others.
Make sure that staff lounges and toilets have working locks and that all staff have keys.
Staff members who leave the building for lunch should use the main entrance and for safety’s sake take a friend.

DISMISSAL

Dismissal problems mirror entry problems. You could be putting yourself in danger by staying alone in a building after dismissal. Assaults and other crimes often take place just outside the school shortly after dismissal.

Exits should be monitored at dismissal. To prevent intrusion, a post-dismissal patrol and door check should be part of the daily safety routine. Sometimes parents and others try to gain access as classes are dismissing.
Following the "herd instinct" is a useful precaution. Leave the building with other school employees.
If you have to stay late, arrange some safety precautions with the principal, such as working near or in occupied offices and leaving with others.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

A safe transition between the regular school day and the after-school program is essential because our schools are increasingly utilized for after-school programs and community activities. The same provisions of the school safety plan for entrance and dismissal should apply to after-school activities, and staff should take precautions to secure property against theft. For example, there should be no unmonitored open doors.

The school safety plan must cover all after-school programs and activities.
The Board of Education requires all groups using the school after hours to provide for security personnel.
Building access should be limited to areas necessary for the specific activity. Access to other areas should be restricted by the use of devices such as roll-down gates.

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