School security still seen as a must despite challenges

Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Over the recent years, school safety and security has become a major talking point and focus for districts, especially in light of the tragedies that have unfolded with mass school shootings.

The latest mass shooting at a school took place Thursday in Bend, Oregon, where a 16-year-old gunman entered Silver Rail Elementary School and killed three kids and a teacher before being gunned down by a bystander after gaining entry into the school.

Retired Niagara Falls City Schools superintendent Mark Laurrie says no matter where one of these school shootings take place, it makes school officials and others think locally in retrospect.

"It really would bring a reassessment of what we were doing to the forefront of my mind all of the time that that happens," said Laurrie in an interview with WBEN. "You, first of all, feel for that community, the parents, the school, the city. There's just no words, and it's just unconscionable that it continues to happen. Then, in the next breath, you start to really make it home and personal, and say, 'Are we doing everything that we need to do to protect everyone here?'

Laurrie feels in Western New York, districts have done a great job understanding what measures need to be in place to ensure the best levels of security for students and staff. He does acknowledge, though, some areas have difficulty with their community understanding the need, and part of that issue is through funding.

"Schools should be a welcoming, friendly, open place; and as a result of these school shootings that have been happening since Columbine in 1999, that open, welcoming, inviting, warm place has been made, in many cases, to feel cold. That's a challenge," Laurrie said. "It's in juxtaposition with what you would want a school to be. So that whole premise is difficult.

"Good security does cost money, and you these kind of instances have tolls on kids. Kids may not always verbalize it, but they're feeling it, they hear it, they wonder, 'Am I safe here?' And I think when those shootings happen, it just brings back those terrible feelings to kids, even though they may be miles-and-miles away from where it actually happened."

Former Buffalo Police Cpt. Jeff Rinaldo directly points to funding being a major issue for school districts with security.

"Like all things, there's an expense to having a trained armed security officer on the premises," Rinaldo said with WBEN. "Schools are all dealing with tight budgets, and you have to allocate your resources, according to the greatest demand, and school security is not inexpensive. Yes, there's some technological solutions that schools use, everything from hardened entryways to lock down electronics, cameras, access control, things of that nature. But at the end of the day, if the threat presents itself, it takes another human being that can respond to that threat to actually stop it."

Several districts across the region are fortunate to have in place a school resource officer that's dedicated to a particular school, or that covers multiple school buildings in the district. Laurrie feels having that presence in a particular building or within the district is critical.

"It's just gotten to the point, be it an elementary school, by not having school resource officers there and knowing the cost of everything and the price of nothing, it really speaks to why you need a school resource officer stationed at your school," he said.

"They have a role in the community beyond school, but when you think about a school district - be it 1,000 students or 7,000 students or 28,000 students like Buffalo - you're putting a lot of citizens in one place. And to not have protection, you wouldn't do that in a populated area, you have to do it. It's just where it is. Artificial intelligence and products are really good, but the human touch has got to be in place always. And oftentimes, your best security is students and the community, and we have to create a culture where they're able to speak up and talk. Now, maybe in this case - I don't know it well - there were no signs or no indications, but that is a very important part of a scaffolded security plan."

Rinaldo also firmly believes that a dedicated security officer should be in place at each school.

"Security isn't about the gun. It's about building relationships in the building with the students - becoming a trusted adult, becoming somebody the students look up to, becoming somebody that the students feel comfortable coming to if there's a problem or if they become aware of an issue and they want to report it to somebody. The relationship building is key, because that's what prevents these types of things from happening in the first place," Rinaldo emphasized. "When one person's trying to share their time amongst 2, 3, 4, 6 different buildings, it becomes difficult. There's no real opportunity there to really get to know the student body, to become part of that school community."

One problem Rinaldo points to is law enforcement agencies locally and across the nation are stretched thin, with shortages in every department.

"Unfortunately, you've seen a lot of police departments have to peel back on the number of school resource officers available," Rinaldo said. "If you look at the City of Buffalo, there's approximately 70-plus school buildings, if not more, and I think the department has 10 school resource officers. So while they do an excellent job, they don't get to really spend a lot of free time in one particular building addressing all the concerns that could arise."

While funding remains a challenge for several school districts, Laurrie was among those who put security right near the top of the list for Niagara Falls City Schools. Not only did this include school resource officers, but also other technological advancements that helped ensure safety for all within school grounds.

"We had a product that detected a weapon when it was brandished 1/8 of an inch, and it sent alarms right to the police department," Laurrie noted. "I'm really pleased that we were able to bring that to our school district, and I think those have to become standard fare in schools, just like math teachers and principals. I think it's just changed the way we have done education."

As school security continues to be highlighted, Rinaldo firmly believes that despite funding challenges, schools are starting to invest more in the safety of students and staff, and will even reach out elsewhere to get that security.

"What I imagine will happen is you will see the state jump in and basically pass legislation, like they did recently for healthcare, that certain facilities have to have a security presence on staff 24/7, or based on the hours of operation. I could see where Albany could legislate this requiring it, and then it's no longer a choice for a school, but a must," Rinaldo said.