San Diego County Grand Jury
2000-2001
Findings & Recommendations
7 findings
F01:
There are many no-cost or low-cost actions that can strengthen school security planning and preparedness. Fact: Local school districts and school administrators are in the best position and the most qualified to make decisions regarding the safety and security procedures that will best suit their particular schools’ demographic, budget and physical constraints. Fact: Fences, access/egress control and door locks did not stop the shooters in the Columbine High School, Arapahoe High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School and Santana High School incidents.
F02:
Both Colorado shootings and the Sandy Hook Elementary School and Santana High School shootings reveal that physical security measures do little to stop a persistent perpetrator from entering the school property. Fact: The Santana High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School and both Colorado High School shooting perpetrators had a history of behavior that would lead to the conclusion that they were at risk of committing violent acts.
F03:
Future attacks may be preventable as most targeted school violence is planned in advance and communicated to other people. In most violent attacks at schools there are multiple early warning signs exhibited by the perpetrator of threatening behavior that could pose a risk to school security. Fact: Charter schools within San Diego Unified School District have upwards of 15 percent of the total K-12 student population. Fact: Charter schools are not covered under each chartering school district’s umbrella of security planning and implementation.
F04:
Charter school students may not be in an environment where current or future security measures are in effect. Fact: Many San Diego County schools operate their own websites that are hosted outside the scrutiny and control of their respective school district.
F05:
In the San Diego Unified School district it is mandatory for schools to have their websites hosted on the district’s Internet Service Provider (ISP).
F06:
Many individual school websites are hosted on non-district ISPs that are controlled by other organizations such as Parent Teacher Association (PTA) or Associated Student Body (ASB) or independent non-profit Foundations and are thus outside the control of the school district.
F07:
Individual school websites, if hosted and controlled by the district, offer each school district another vehicle for communicating key security information to students, teachers and parents.
Additional Recommendations
11
Not linked to specific findings.
14-05:
Develop an overarching school security policy that prioritizes the
14-06:
Work with the State of California Office of Education to amend the
14-07:
Identify key personnel responsible for school security. Identification
14-08:
Develop a school specific School Security Plan for emergency
14-09:
Develop training programs that, in conjunction with local law
14-10:
Develop and publish a Security Awareness and Prevention Program
14-11:
accessible through the district and school websites.
14-12:
Put in place a program to strengthen partnerships with public safety
14-13:
Develop fiscal plans that include time-phased budgeting of the
14-14:
Put in place the policy, procedure and infrastructure to provide
14-15:
Develop a plan for initiating school-to-parent communication