NCJ Number
179377
Journal
Security Management Dated: August 1999 Pages: 44 - 48-50,52-54
Date Published
August 1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article describes the security program of the Clark County School District (Nevada), which has learned to apply a mixture of risk management, security measures, discipline, and sound personal guidance to reduce the risk of violent incidents in schools.
Abstract
Security for the Clark County School District (CCSD) started with a concerned public that pledged support for school safety and has grown into a police organization that enforces the law as well as school rules and administers several programs designed to reduce violence and promote crisis intervention. In addition, school police are aided by partnerships with various school departments, local businesses, and municipal law enforcement to fund these efforts. The CCSD spends approximately $7 million annually (of its $954.3 million budget) on police services. Although specially trained to deal with minors, school police encounter the same adult-like range of criminal activity that afflicts the surrounding community. They have had to address gang activity, gun-related offenses, and the use of and trafficking in illegal drugs. The CCSD, however, goes beyond an emphasis on traditional law enforcement measures. The police, school officials, students, and community representatives work together in operating safety awareness programs, peer mediation, conflict resolution, and gang-prevention programs. The schools also have a districtwide emergency management plan, part of which addresses what teachers should do in the event of a school shooting.