New York City’s public school system is increasing security measures as the rash of mass shootings continue across the country, including another school shooting recently in Nashville.
The city announced a plan to place video-equipped doorbells at elementary schools starting in May. Given the massive size of the school district, that’s a process that will take a number of months, with a goal of reaching all buildings by next spring, according to an online article on the Chalkbeat New York website.
The current school setup requires visitors to sign in with school safety agents as they walk through unlocked doors. The new setup requires visitors to be buzzed into the building.
The city has already taken safety measures such as bringing violence interrupters and mentors to about 140 schools and hosting more meetings between school principals and the police to discuss safety plans.
Plans also include increasing the number of school safety agents already on campus. The agents are unarmed police department employees positioned inside the schools. The agents are expected to operate the buzzer systems once they are in place.
School safety agents decreased by about 20 percent during the pandemic and the police department hopes to return to the number of agents on staff before the pandemic struck.
Dave Lubach is managing editor of the Facility Market.
