(Image via awsp.org)
Volunteer Writer: Kolby Williamson
Email: kwilliamson2@umassd.edu
It seems that more often than ever, we hear another news story about a school shooting in our country. Our most vulnerable population, children, are at risk, as well as countless teachers, staff, and bystanders in the community. It is time that we end the “thoughts and prayers” and move into action.
Our government needs to implement new policies to ensure our safety by enforcing strict gun laws and adding additional security in schools. Each school in America should have a buzzer system with locked doors, a security officer on-site, and an emergency procedure if an intruder gains entry.
More than that, the people of America should not have easy access to the weapons that are costing innocent people their lives.
In a recent interview, James Carol, a college student at UMass Dartmouth, expressed his concerns about safety on campus, specifically about the lack of security.
When asked what safety measures his campus offered, he responded, “I know there are police on campus, but I have heard they are hard to reach.”
Carol also suggests that “the doors to each building aren’t locked, students don’t wear IDs, and from what I’ve noticed, there is minimum security.”
When speaking with Carol about campus safety policies, he was unaware of any procedures that should be followed. He mentioned, ‘The university doesn’t make their policies known to students if they have any.’
When asked how he would access help in an emergency situation, he was unable to respond because he did not know exactly what he would do besides calling 911. “I haven’t really thought about it,” Carol states.
In the interview, he also reported that he feels unsafe on campus, but adding additional security features would improve his sense of safety. He suggested that an emergency alert button installed in each building on campus could quickly alert everybody on campus of a safety concern. He also thinks doors should be locked, and students should use IDs to gain entry.
I asked Carol about gun control. He stated, “Congress needs to implement safer gun laws. They should commit funding to more common-sense gun reform.”
He also endorsed universal background checks and utilizing psych evaluations before granting licenses to carry weapons.
Speaking with Carol made me reflect on my own beliefs about campus security. I also believe that students not wearing badges can be dangerous, and we don’t know who truly belongs on campus without a policy.
It’s a concern that doors are open to the public while students are in class, as anyone with negative intentions can easily gain access. Additionally, insufficient access to campus police in an emergency can result in serious complications and danger in an already stressful situation.
In a second interview, fifth-grade teacher Ellen Santos, who works at an elementary school in Somerset, discusses safety concerns that schools experience today.
In Santos’ school, “the doors are locked, and you need to be buzzed in by the main office after stating your purpose of the visit. Once you pass the first set of entry doors, you must show your ID before entering the actual school.”
She also states that the outside doors of the building are all locked, and there is an intercom system throughout the school.
Her school has emergency procedures that are taught to both staff and students each year and practiced throughout the school year.
She reports, “We have an emergency shelter-in-place drill where students are taught to hide and remain silent. This can happen if a student has a medical emergency or there is someone in the building who shouldn’t be. Teachers will lock and barricade their doors when necessary.”
She adds that “the drills and practices give a lot of students anxiety and cause a lot of fear. But it’s important to make sure kids are safe.”
Santos’ school does not have security officers in the building, but police “circle the school daily” to check in.
When asked if Santos feels safe at work in the school, she says, “For the most part, I do. We do our best to keep our staff and our children safe.”
She adds, “It’s upsetting that we have to be so hypervigilant at work, but it’s the reality of public schools in America today. I know other schools in the area are implementing similar policies, but not all have the same types of safety measures we do.”
For Santos to feel even safer at work, she has the following recommendations: “Having an officer in the building each day would also help some of the kids feel safe around police officers, especially if they could contribute positively to the kids’ day in some way. Also, peace of mind in knowing there is stricter access to guns to the general public.”
Finally, Santos was asked about her thoughts on gun control. “I think anyone who wants to own a gun should have a mental health evaluation, cleared background check, fingerprinting, references … These are all things I had to do in order to teach students, never mind own a weapon.”
She also believes that “ammunition should be limited and assault weapons should be banned to the general public.”
Both interviews with Carol and Santos mirror the belief that strict gun laws are necessary to ensure safety in schools. Students and staff members all deserve to feel safe, and we must break the cycle of endless school shootings.
As Santos says,
“More than anything, we need to keep people safe. If that means people have to give up some of their own wants and desires to protect others’ needs, so be it.”