Is Police Presence in Heights Schools the Best Form of Security? [POLL]
Heights police now regularly visit the school buildings during the day but the need for a full-time presence is something many parents would rather see. Meanwhile there are others who would be opposed. Weigh-in and take the poll.
Police officers on guard at schools is a measure many school districts, including Hasbrouck Heights, are considering as a way to enhance security and help parents, staff members and students feel safer in the wake of the Newtown tragedy.
Currently Hasbrouck Heights police are required to stop into the school buildings to check in while on a patrol, a measure many other boroughs are starting to put in place as well.
Although the want and need for a fulltime officer at school buildings is shared by parents, staff members and officials, the ability to do so is a challenge in most towns due to lack of police manpower.
Nearby Lodi is considering something a little different - a plan to hire retired police officers to guard its borough schools, according to NorthJersey.com.
The retired officers would be plain-clothed but would carry guns, the report says. NorthJersey reports Lodi is putting aside $225,000 to hire five retired officers.
Members of a newly formed Hasbrouck Heights Parents for Safe Schools group stressed the need for full-time police presence at a recent Board of Education meeting. One parent said telling his 6-year-old daughter he would do all he could to try to get an officer in her school building was the only thing that made her feel better after learning about the Sandy Hook tragedy.
There are others that feel differently however. A panel made up of school officials and law enforcement from parts of Bergen County oppose the idea of armed guards favoring security cameras and unarmed guards at schools as a better option.
Hasbrouck Heights parents will be learning more in the coming weeks about what other measures and improvements may be implimented to enhance security and a community forum on the subject is expected to be organized in the near future.
School officials said they expect to receive the results of a security assessment this week and will soon after start putting advised security measures in place.
Meanwhile we ask readers do you believe police officers on guard at school buildings is the best form of protection?
Sound off in the comments or take our poll.
YOSEMITE SAM
9:15 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN;
YEARS AGO IT WAS DISCUSSED TO STOP DRUG DEALING;
QUICKLY TABLED;
MEATAL DETECTORS; SCANNERS AND CAMERAS SHOULD BE INSTALLED
Heights12
3:03 pm on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Having police presence will not only deter violence but also will make kids think twice about bringing drugs to school and starting fights. We pay enough taxes in HH - police in our schools should be part of the cost allocation - - not in addition.
Heights mom
1:53 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Really??? Do you really want to live under a police state? Schools can be safe without a police office living there. If someone wanted to do do something- they are the first target. We vote down safety when voting no for moving offices in the elementary schools but we welcome an armed officer? And why stop there? Make sure you have one at every sports event, at the mall, movie theaters, etc.
there is never 100% safety. We live with risk every day. We can mitigate it in many ways without resorting to extremes. What are we teaching our children? That you are never safe unless an armed officer is around? Be careful for what you ask. You may not like the reality
HH Mom
10:42 pm on Wednesday, February 6, 2013
There absolutely should be a police officer in every school in HH. There is no reason we should be so antiquated on school safety, besides this is not a new concept. It is already practiced by many schools and is now in the fore front due to the increased amount of school shootings over the past few years. Statistics show that the response time would save lives in the situation and that police presence has proven to be a deterent for bullying and other school crimes that may otherwise occur. One police officer does not turn a school into an armed fort and children should be learning to respect and feel safe when they see an officer. As far as the offices, although this is a design flaw and does not make the schools any safer, it is time to vote to move them as well. We live in a completely different time and we owe it to our children to do everything we can do make sure they are atleast as safe as we can make them in our schools. Security measures were re-evaluated after 9/11 and many establishments were introduced to new security measures and police presence...isn't it time to make sure our schools evolve with the unfortunate times we live in? Ask yourself if your children deserve this and I believe you will find the answer.
concerned HH Parent
Mr W
1:47 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I agree
Bill
1:47 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Heights Dad 210
I have two children in the Heights school district, and I definately think that an armed police officer would make the child feel safer. A school with an armed police officer would definitely not make the school a target but would deter someone from thinking about doing something. I also think that an officer in the school would make the students think twice about getting into trouble. The office being moved and security cameras are also a good idea. I think they were only voted down because people that live in town and don't have children in the school don't think it is important. They need to realize it would help keep our children safer.
abc
1:47 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Where is all the money going to come from? We can't possibly think that police are the only solution. Incidents can and will still happen. I still like the idea of teachers and adminstrators being able to carry guns, if they choose and pass the requirements, etc.
jay vanderhooten
4:27 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I have a daughter in HH school district as well. I definitely believe that we live in a "fear induced by the media" culture. We pay enough in taxes already and don't need another line item tacked on in the name of "safety for the children". Stop the madness already. Sugar, alcohol and tabacco has killed more people than guns. Get with it. We have a mental health crisis in this country, not a gun crisis.
PARENT OF 2
12:31 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
I cannot believe people are more concerned about a tax increase and not the lives of their children! Educate yourself on school shootings and you will be shocked to see how many take place that never make the headlines. Educate yourself on statistics on schools with armed police and school crimes and you will see the positive results. Get with the times...this is our sad reality. Keep it focused and ask yourself how much you are willing to pay to keep your children safe! Ask yourself if your children deserve to be as safe as you can possibly make them! Your taxes are going up every year regardless and I certainly would not mind seeing a line item added for the safety of my children. So sad to hear that you disagree. Hasbrouck Heights schools need to be updated with the best security measures possible!
abc
9:45 am on Friday, February 8, 2013
Come on now with this concern for the lives of children. You can't account for nutjobs that want to commit crimes. It can happen at any time, place, or to anyone, not just kids. A police nation, gun regulations, etc. are not going to stop crime. The criminals don't play by the rules and there is no 100% way to control their activity.
And yes, many people do not want to pay more taxes. We pay too much now as it is. Everyone is fearful, let teachers and administrators carry guns, those who choose to. We can't think that putting cops everywhere is going to solve the problem. One cop in a school won't do anything if some kid on the other side of the school decides to shoot up the place, Ok, maybe he'll get to him quicker than calling the cops, but the damage could be done by then. See why you can't think that a cop in the school is going to work?
PARENT OF 2
3:57 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Teachers and administrators carrying guns....are you insane! More people on the streets carrying guns that are not trained to react and use them.....real intelligent. It is not worth having a conversation with such closed minded people who obviously have no children or simply do not care.
abc
9:30 am on Monday, February 11, 2013
Yes, other people should carry guns besides cops. Do you think that cops are the ultimate answer and can solve every problem? It's obvious that the answer is no. Having kids or not and not caring have nothing to do with this, it's economics. Our taxes are already out of control. Our nation needs to find better ways to solve problems, thinking that just putting a cop everywhere isn't going to work.
Peter Dinella
3:57 pm on Friday, February 8, 2013
Go to the below link and take a look at the bottom section entitled "List of Notable US School Attacks." Also, look at the links there that describe how these horrific events happened (killings over 10), and then ask yourself if one police officer could have stopped any of them.
These events were well planned and all contingencies were covered. The people that did these horrible things were not dumb, crazy maybe, but not dumb. They knew what they wanted to do and how to do it well in advance. If people like this knew a cop was at a certain school, and they wanted to massacre students, who do you think the first person they kill would be?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States#List_of_notable_U.S._school_attacks