Lessons from the Columbine School Shooting
Lots of high-tech gear, but that’s not what makes schools safe:
Some of the noticeable security measures remain, but experts say the country is exploring a new way to protect kids from in-school violence: administrators now want to foster school communities that essentially can protect themselves with or without the high-tech gear.
“The first and best line of defense is always a well-trained, highly alert staff and student body,” said Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, an Ohio-based firm specializing in school security.
“The No. 1 way we find out about weapons in schools is not from a piece of equipment [such as a metal detector] but from a kid who comes forward and reports it to an adult that he or she trusts.”
Of course, there never was an epidemic of school shootings—it just seemed that way in the media. And kids are much safer in schools than outside of them.
Mark, London • April 29, 2009 6:38 AM
While not on shootings, it’s interesting that you post this on the same day as this story was on the morning news here in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8024171.stm