New York Parent Group Releases School Security Plan
Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools is comprised of parents advocating for more school resource officers, more mental health services and for reworking the grounds monitor position to what the group calls a school security officer.
- By Jessica Davis
- February 08, 2019
Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools has announced the release of their eight-point plan for school security. The group said they feel the plan addresses the district’s safety needs as well as parent concerns on both sides of the school security debate.
According to the Saratogian, Saratoga Parents for Safer Schools is comprised of parents advocating for more school resource officers, more mental health services and for reworking the grounds monitor position to what the group calls a school security officer. The group came together after a vote by the Saratoga Springs Board of Education moved to disarm grounds monitors.
“We wanted to recreate the grounds monitor position to include some of the valid concerns of community members pertaining to ongoing training and development,” group organizer Kara Rosettie said.
Rosettie said that the plan calls for school security officer positions to be filled only by active duty or retired police officers.
“They will be tied into the city emergency management system and complete specialized training through the National Association of School Resource Officers. Additionally, the School Security Officers will be required to complete active shooter training with the local or county police department,” Rosettie said.
Upon appropriate training and approval, school security officers will be allowed to carry firearms on campus. The plan states that “the presence of armed security officers can significantly reduce the time it takes to respond to an emergency.”
The group’s plan acknowledges how important it is to adequately fund preventative measures related to mental health services.
“Our plan calls for mandatory training to be conducted regularly for all school personnel and should include crisis intervention, bully prevention, and knowing the signs of someone who is a danger to themselves and/or others” Rosettie said.
The entire plan can be read on the organization’s website.
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.