Your Thoughts: School Security

Gov. Cuomo signed gun legislation this week that includes expanding the state’s ban on assault weapons and strengthened guidelines to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill.

This measure prompted these thoughts regarding school security on the North Fork:

Concerned

"I hope school officials understand that emergency procedures are necessary but what is needed are preventative measures. After 9/11 every company, many with thousands of employees coming and going everyday, increased their access security to the campuses and buildings. Yes is costs money but it is necessary. Every student should have an ID that allows access to the school and it will provide immediate information on who is in the school or who has left the school. Professional Security Guards must be hired to monitor the security access to the school. All visitors must enter through a security guarded checkpoint to have a professional ask why are you here? Who are you here to see? Please open your bags for inspection. The access security is done for every person visiting. The Security Guards are armed and trained in case something goes wrong. School officials need professional guidance on access security to all of our schools."

Joan

"Are we turning our schools into prisons now? Don't they already have drug sweeps like they do in prison? The term "lockdown" is a term formerly used only in prisons.

I'm all for security but sending children to school with armed guards is not a good solution. What's next putting razor wire around the schools? Bars on the windows? Why do we want to prepare our children for prison?

I don't think that armed guards in school will make kids feel safer. And how long will it be until an armed guard flips out and starts shooting?

We need less guns not more. The easy accessibility to firearms is the problem here and needs to be controlled, and not just assault weapons either. I know that there will be vehement dissension about this but that's because the gun lovers apparently care more about their guns than they do about our children. Perhaps we should get guns for all of our school children to carry so that they can protect themselves.

The Newtown shooting was a monstrous tragedy but to think that we can protect ourselves from every disaster imaginable is a fantasy."

Concerned

"Common sense security is a must. For example security cameras and locked doors., and where there is a glass panel next to the locked entry door, it should have an artful and pleasant welded grating system so that a gun man cannot shoot out the glass panel and bye pass the door. The security cameras and an emergency call button to the local police calling for help. What if an alarm is sounded from the school office and immediately the firedoors which many shools have installed to stop fires from spreading, shut and lock so the gunman cannot roam the halls. I am not a gun supporter, but i am sure no matter what we do crazy people will find a way to kill with guns or whatever. We need secure schools and safety codes just like we have fire codes. A lock down drill is the same as a fire drill it just makes sense to be prepared."

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Suffolk County police are set to host a school safety seminar for district officials on Jan. 23, where they said they will discuss notorious school shootings to inform schools on how to ramp up safety. The seminar will come just a little over a month since a shooter killed 20 students and 6 staff at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. According to the police, the seminar, which will take place at 9 a.m. at the Suffolk County Community College Brentwood campus, will look at the Newtown shooting as well as break down the deadly shootings at Columbine and Virginia Tech.