On Wednesday Nov. 14 district 204 had its first community safety night. Approximately 100 community members attending the event, which was an opportunity for the district to communicate directly with residents about their strategy to combat  issues of school safety. There were nine speakers at the briefing, including school resource officers,police commanders and officers who investigate crimes against children. Approximately one third of the time was devoted to the explanation of the school resource officer (SRO) program . Talks on the program centered around the officers’ experience and qualifications. Police administrators stressed the requirements for school resource officers, explaining that they must “know the laws [and] know the policy.” School resource officers must have at least 18 months of experience on the force and go through multiple interviews. Administrators consider officers’ histories, work ethics, attendance records and experience with children amongst other factors to determine which applicants will be accepted in the program.  The speakers said that SROs aid in students safety and in fostering an open environment in which students can share concerns..

ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training was also another topic of the meeting. The speakers said that all staff members have taken a one hour online learning unit on the training. Teachers for both middle and high school have gone through simulation training in school, and the district hopes to extend this to elementary teachers in 2019. The teachers also worked in small groups with law enforcement personnel to discuss  school safety. ALICE training is designed to allow teachers to practice operating in high stress situations so they’re prepared to deal with school threats. By having teachers participate in simulations, the program seeks to improve their response in a real situation. Concerned parties can learn more at www.alicetraining.com.

The  district announced their  website, 204 Tipline which can be used by  both students and parents to report safety concerns, including bullying, weapons and physical and verbal abuse. All tips are confidential and can be given anonymously. Tips can be reported at www.ipsd.org/TIPS.  

The school administration hopes that  school resource officers, ALICE training and community members will help make the schools safer.