New California Law Makes Training Mandatory For All School Security Officers

New California Law Makes Training Mandatory For All School Security Officers

Starting in 2021, part-time employees will also be required to finish a course on student behavior, liability and more.

A new California law signed last week will require every school security officer employed by every public school and university to complete a training course, regardless of their status as a part-time or full-time guard. 

Under the previous law, only security professionals who worked more than 20 hours per week were required to finish the course, which covered liability, security awareness, conflict resolution and student behavior, among other topics. Part-time security staff members, which over 50 percent of California schools employed in 2018, were not included, according to The California Globe.

The law, introduced by state Sen. Tom Umberg, said he wanted to create a safer environment for students in the wake of growing concerns over school shooters and other forms of violence in schools. 

“Ultimately, the goal of SB 390 is to fully commit all school safety officers to student safety, by maximizing preparedness and knowledge essential to keeping children safe,” Umberg said in a statement. 

Security guards have previously been criticized for their responses to violent incidents, including a school resource officer who did not enter the school during a shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. The officer now faces charges of child neglect and perjury for his inaction during a massacre that killed 17 people. 

“They need this training so our kids stop getting away with [violence] and we don’t have to be the ones to find out about everything the guards missed or let happen,” substitute teacher Janet Clemens told the Globe. “This can only be good.”

Districts will have over a year to adjust to the new requirements. The law will go into effect for all security employees in 2021. 

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • A.C. Camargo Cancer Center Enhances Security, Patient Care with Help from Advanced Video Surveillance

    A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, a leading oncology treatment center in São Paulo, Brazil recognized for its history of innovation, today announced that its partnership with Axis Communications has produced savings of more than $2 million over its first two years, all of which will be reinvested in patient care. A.C. Camargo has deployed more than 2,000 state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras throughout the Center’s corridors, complex care units, and parking lots, embracing a more holistic approach to security that emphasizes patient and employee safety along with improved quality of service. Read Now

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

  • K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

    CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market. The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. Read Now

  • Survey: Fewer Than 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now