Is our campus safe?

There are measures in place to protect our student body

Is+our+campus+safe%3F

Reeya Patel, Opinions Editor

Campus Security is the foundation from which trust, welfare, and security is built. Parents want their children to be safe while receiving their education away from home. Students want to feel safe when spending half of their days elsewhere.

2018 has brought a lot more than just school shootings, but the outrageous number is difficult to ignore. With dangers of potential school shootings lurking around, it is important for parents, as well as students, to know the protocols for emergency plans. It is never bad to take precautions.

Ben Davis, being the size it is, has 3-4 officers present inside the school everyday, with an additional eight patrolling around the area. The administration takes student and faculty safety as its top priority. In an unlikely occurrence of an intruder entering the building, the following protocol would be utilized:

— An announcement on the PA system would be made to calmy inform students and faculty of what is going on.

— Teachers would proceed to securing their doors as well as covering them.

— Students will be then ushered away from the door, and be told to be as quiet as they can be.

— The officers present in the building (as well as the ones in the Ninth Grade Center that will be signaled to come to the affected area) will start searching and securing the building as more authorities are on their way.

— Teachers may receive an email of the existing situation and its details.

— When the situation is fully contained, an announcement will be made.

If the threat were to perhaps be a member of the student body, then the same protocol would stand. In order to safely restore peace, the goal of the operation is to isolate the situation by whatever forces necessary, lethal or not.

The emergency plan is nothing new to Ben Davis. The same protocol is used by the majority of schools all across America, and though it may not be completely bullet-proof, it has prevented thousands of mishaps from going awry.

Each year emergency plans are looked at for improvements. The federal government and law enforcement protocols are constantly changing, requiring adjustments for the best plan possible. Additional cameras and security are constantly being added in order to ensure the safest environment for staff and students.

Safety has always been the number one priority for Ben Davis. Active shooter training is open to all staff members as well as counselors who are available to talk about whatever, whenever necessary.