More coverage on school safety from different media outlets.
In Peoria, a policy for how school resource officers should use Tasers is moving along. The district previously purchased the devices for school resource officers and is currently training them and developing policy on how they are used before they are deployed
The Peoria Journal-Star writes:
“Peoria Public Schools security officers won’t use Tasers on students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grades, regardless of weight. But the weapons aren’t intended for use on students as much as they are for outside threats.”
Tasers were discussed during a recent policy committee. The newspaper quoted PPS safety director Demario Boone, who emphasized at the meeting Taser use by security officers is meant to help keep students and staff safe.
The district is also pushing for a state law that would allow security officers to carry firearms.
Meanwhile in southern Illinois, Baysinger Architects in Marion hosted a School Building Safety Lunch and Learn for area school and law enforcement officials, according to WSIU Public Radio.
At the meeting, a consultant with Sonitrol Verified Electronic Security talked about the various ways schools can incorporate duress video, audio and access control security options.
"We call your dispatch first. We relay that information to dispatch. Then, we hang up that phone and then we call your (school) call list, let them know dispatch is on their way, this is the alarm we gave them and then that end user can let us know if the alarm is valid or false."
For more information on school safety, IASA created a
school safety tab
on our website with numerous resources for schools.