In this featured piece by Campus Security Today, the outlet reports on Singlewire Software’s inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. The report found that only 17% of school staff members felt their entrances were completely secure, with guests not following check-in procedures, staffing shortages, and a lack of visitor identity verification cited as the top challenges. Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software, said school safety starts at the front door and that a secure entrance gives schools the chance to stop threats before they gain access to the building. Joanna Haugland, chief product officer for Visitor Aware at Singlewire Software, said proactive tools that help identify potential threats will play a crucial role as schools work to close these gaps.
Key Takeaways
- Only 17% of school staff members felt their entrances were completely secure, according to Singlewire Software’s inaugural School Entrance Security Report.
- The top three challenges cited for entrance security were guests not following check-in procedures (31%), lack of staff (30%), and no way to verify guest identities (24%).
- Fifty-nine percent of school staff said entrances are always supervised and monitored, and 32% said entrances are monitored daily when school is in session.
- Eighty-nine percent of schools have video surveillance in place, and 43% are planning to purchase or upgrade video surveillance tools in the next two years.
- Only 1% of respondents said their school lacks an established communication system, and 89% said they know how to respond if a problem arises at the front entrance.
Original Story
Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats. Only 17 percent of school staff members felt that their entrances were completely secure, and multiple challenges were cited for maintaining a secure entrance, including guests not following check-in procedures (31 percent), lack of staff (30%), and no way to verify guest identities (24 percent).
“School safety starts at the front door,” said Terry Swanson, president and CEO of Singlewire Software. “With a secure entrance, schools have the opportunity to stop threats before they gain access to the building.”