Security Upgrades in the Works for Heights Schools

Over the summer months the Hasbrouck Heights school district will start to bring in new security measures based on recommendations coming in from its team of consultants.

Last week Bob Pitkowski and Jack Delorenzo of CDI security team gave the public a rundown of the study they are conducting of all school facilities and introduced them to a new visitors system that will be brought in this summer.

One of the recommendations they made to the board is to upgrade the visitor check-in at all schools with a management system - software that will create an ID with photo of all visitors making it easier to track and monitor everyone inside the school building. DeLorenzo said the system can scan visitor's drivers license which will register who the visitor is, if the ID is valid and will track the time period the visitor is in the building.

"It's a very nice tool for the people in the building and for the people at the front [checking visitors in]," DeLorenzo said. The system is being used in at many school districts he said.

It's recommended the district try the system out during the summer KEYS program and provided all works well bring it into all the school buildings in the fall.

As for the ongoing evaluation of school security, the team has been looking at the schools during day and night hours. Pikowski said they have also made it a point to study big events like "Mr. Heights pageant" which bring in a large number of people.

The district will receive more recommendations from the team once the study is complete.

As for additonal security upgrades, Board President Joseph Rinke told parents the Board will review the recommendations and make a priority list of what can be done based on what the district can afford. Rinke said this will be a fluid process that the Board will continue to revisit based on the security needs of the district.