Florida County Looks to Boost Security through Almost Doubling Security Personnel

Florida County Looks to Boost Security through Almost Doubling Security Personnel

A referendum passed by taxpayers last year will add about 500 security personnel to the current staff of 745.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • July 23, 2019

Broward schools in Florida will be boosting security this fall with the addition of about 500 security personnel — including armed guardians and unarmed security specialists and monitors — to the current staff of 745.

Superintendent Robert Runcie said at a recent meeting that any new police officers at schools are not included in the plan.

“There are significant vacancies in law enforcement, I think about 300 in the county, so getting additional [school resource officers] wasn’t really feasible,” Runcie said.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, most of the funding for this additional security comes through a referendum passed by taxpayers last year that raises $93 million a year for four years. $19 million of the funding will be used for security, and $8 million will pay for additional guidance counselors, social workers and nurses.

This referendum plan calls for each school to have at least one police officer or armed guardian for every 1,000 students.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the current plan calls for:

• Nearly double the number of armed guardians, from 47 to 93

• More than twice as many unarmed campus security monitors, from 328 to 686. Many will be placed in elementary schools, which currently have no unarmed security officials.

• An increase of 48 security specialists, bringing the total up to 196. These are unarmed security personnel who are higher paid and have more leadership responsibilities than monitors.

• School police officers would remain at 197.

The district will allocate $1.3 million to charter schools for their additional armed security. Spokeswoman Cathleen Brennan said the amount each school would get is still being determined.

Brennan said overall, the district will make the necessary security updates in order to ensure security across campuses.

“The district will continue to enhance the layers of security at schools throughout the school year — increasing security staff, providing training, and enhancing technology and infrastructure, as part of the ongoing focus on ensuring safe and secure learning environments for students and staff,” Brennan said.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now

Most   Popular