School
SecurityIf you cannot drive your children to school, or they aren’t taken by bus, be sure they take a direct path—avoiding construction sites, deserted buildings and parks. For older children, remind them not to carry large amounts of money and to leave valuables at home. They should keep their belongings in the school locker and not give out the combination to anyone. It goes without saying that a student should never carry a weapon to school. If your child knows of anyone who has a weapon or who is using/selling drugs, they should tell both you and the principal. If they tell you, then you can contact the principal—keeping the student out of the loop.
Encourage your children to talk about school: classes, teachers, other students, friends, any problems they know of. Know your children’s playmates, friends, teachers and school officials and talk with them! Demand proper security in schools, especially in high-crime areas. Metal detectors, ID tags and other such protective measures are very useful.
University/college security is a different ball game. Colleges are required to collect and publish statistics on campus crime, which helps inform parents and students about campus safety issues. When considering a college, always ask about the crime incidence. Read the FBI’s Crime in the United States: Uniform Crime Reports, which is available in all major libraries and has expanded information on crime on the nation’s campuses.
Dormitory security is essential. More and more campuses are instituting “key-card” security, where the doors remain locked and a student must insert their ID card into a card reader to unlock the door. Today, most campuses have combined that card for several purposes: As an ordinary ID card that can be worn around the neck or clipped to a pocket, as a debit card to pay for cafeteria meals, as an entry card to unlock dormitory doors, as a library card to check out books, and for several other reasons. A system such as this is absolutely ideal. Taking it one step further, the same card can be used to locate a student at any time, which can be vital in case of an emergency.
Keep your doors and windows locked at all times, even if you are only going to be gone for a short time. When in your room, it’s safe to leave the windows open, of course, but lock your door. Always keep a list of emergency numbers by the phone, and don’t give out your number to anyone you don’t know. Never travel alone at night or in deserted areas. Use the buddy system. If you are truly concerned, contact the Public Safety Department. If you had to do inventory and lock up the library at 3 a.m., for example, a call to the Public Safety Department would get you an officer to give you a ride home. They are your friends and there to help keep you safe. Always remember that.
Know where the emergency phones are on campus. Almost every college today has “blue light” phones installed throughout the campus. If you are at all concerned in any way, just run to the “blue light” phone, pick it up and it automatically calls the Public Safety Department. Even if you cannot speak, if you are being attacked for instance, a police officer will be sent to that phone location immediately. Just pick up the phone. They are called “blue light” phones because most companies that install them use tall, standalone phones with large blue lights on top of them so that you can find them immediately.
If you have any concerns about a particular institution of higher education, then contact the Public Safety Department first and talk with them. They are there to help you; take advantage of it.
