School Security Officers

   School security is crucial to maintaining the safety and well being of everybody in the building. Security Officer Warren Bennett ensures that these safety measures are taken in the best way possible. Bennett is only looking at the positive side of things and what can be done to ensure that there is a safe school environment.

   “The best way to provide safety is to be proactive rather than reactive. If you prepare for the worst than you will be ready for anything. It’s better to have more security than needed than to need security and not have it,” Bennett said. 

   Bennett’s positivity can sometimes get in the way of dealing with students who might be in trouble.

   “My job has gotten more difficult because I am such a positive person that I can’t see the negative things. When someone is caught with contraband, consequences are given that I cannot change,” Bennett said.

   Dealing with any sort of danger whether it is from inside or outside the school, has to be dealt in a very cautious manner.

   “There is an increase in security nationwide as there have been a lot more school shootings. As a security team what we would do is try to single out the threat in a calm fashion without everyone’s attention,” Bennett said. 

   Head of District Security Officer Gary Majors explains that less security does not only impact students’ safety.

   “We live in changing times and as the world changes so does the need to review and change, as necessary, our security protocols. The goal of our security team is to provide a safe and secure environment that is conducive to learning. When people read or watch the news and hear of violence in other schools they often times question how safe they are in their own school. These worries and fears can interfere with the real purpose of our schools, which is, of course, the education of students. Not only can students be adversely impacted by these concerns but so can the teachers and administrators that work in the building,” Majors said.

   Majors describes how important it is that students are aware of their surroundings at all times.

   “We do not want to scare people and have them be consumed with fear but we also do not want people to be so lax that they prop open doors or hold doors open to allow strangers into the building,” Majors said.

   Senior Josh Perks may not completely agree with the way safety procedures are being carried out at school.

   “I think there are too many security guards who follow you when you’re not doing anything wrong. Teachers should be trained enough to do something as simple as break up a fight in school,” Perks said.

   Perks feels that it is important to at least try to understand what a student may be going through that is leading that student towards their bad actions. 

   “Coach Bennett knows how to be cool with the kids here and understand them by trying to talk to them. But I feel like some officers are just here to judge and search people and they don’t try and be nice and just talk,” Perks said.

   Perks believes that the safety rules impact his school day and make it harder to do simple tasks.

   “It affects me because sometimes when I’m just trying to go to the bathroom or to class, they always ask what I am doing or accuse me of things that aren’t even the case,” Perks said. 

   Perks agrees with the security officers on one thing though, that security is critical at any school.

   “A big advantage is that if there was ever a school shooting or in an intruder, the security officers would be able to prevent that or anything else bad that could happen,” Perks said.