School Security: A Necessary Evil

According to Al Jazeera America, ever since the shooting of Sandy Hook, schools have cracked down extremely hard on security measures. In the Cerritos Elementary School in California, people can only enter the school through one door. Inside, there is a counter that has a glass shield in front of it. People must then be buzzed into the school, but if the person poses a threat, a silent alarm can be pressed, calling the police. Some schools have even been installing bullet-proof boards and some have armed licensed teachers with firearms. I personally agree with the latter of the two, as I would feel much safer in a school where I knew that, if necessary, a teacher could neutralize the threat. Drills have become a massive part of security as well. Tennessee now requires "intruder drills" to sharpen the skills of those who could possibly be harmed by someone involved in an intruder situation. A school in Cincinnati now has a system called the "Bearicade." Basically, the device blocks the door from being opened by a pin holding it in place. It is very simple to use and all that is needed is a door and the device. One sheriff has even created a "posse" system of 3,500 well armed and well trained people who will patrol and scan the outer perimeters of different schools to aid in eliminating threats, whether through deterrence or by force. Some of the states in which schools that have implemented this "posse" system have been Utah, Texas, and Arizona, just to name a few. I believe that this system should be implemented into every school system, along with armed teachers who have the mindset to protect those they teach and the training to follow through. Security in school, however annoying it may seem, is absolutely necessary, as has been demonstrated in the past few years.