Submitted by Howard Lee
Attended the UP school board meeting Wednesday night and made public comment on school security. The school board has contracted only one resource officer (uniformed, armed Pierce County deputy), who has the impossible task of providing security for all eight of UP’s schools.
There are School Security Officers at CHS and CJH, but they are unarmed and minimally trained. District Superintendent Chamberlin explained that the district’s security plan was developed with a priority on prevention, followed by what was considered an adequate security component.
MaryLu Dickenson, School Board President, commended the Superintendent on his security plan. Based on the myriad of active shooter events which have occurred over the past 19 years since the Columbine massacre, an active school shooter must be neutralized within minutes of when the carnage starts.
Therefore, the initial security response must come from within the school/district and must be swift and overwhelming. The UP school board is accountable, by law, to the community for the operation of the school district. Let MaryLu Dickenson and her board members know how you feel about UP’s school security
Mike says
Contact info for Dickenson or anyone else on the board we can contact?
Howard Lee says
The email address for the UP School Board President MaryLou Dickinson is mlu_dickinson@upsd.wed.net.edu.
Joseph Boyle says
One Pierce County Deputy guards thousands of lives scattered all over 8 campuses throughout University Place.
Thousands of lives scattered over large campuses inside and outside school buildings throughout University Place. Think about it, School Board. That is a bad ratio. That is not a ratio for success. It is a ratio that benefits a school shooter.
One deputy assigned full time at CHS with no responsibility for the other 7 schools easily could prove to not be enough, with thousands of lives to protect. If you want to have a real protection / security plan, a minimum of two deputies per school makes more sense.
Until the Curtis School Board can guarantee to students, parents, teachers, and staff that one deputy has the ability to be omnipresent in all areas of all 8 schools, than the school board needs to rethink their security plan.
School Board, start with my idea of two deputies per school and if you must, trim down from that. Maybe you end up with one deputy per school. Do not start from the position of 1 deputy for the entire school district and work up from that to say 2 deputies for the entire school district.
I know, money, not saving kids, drives the decision making. All I can tell you is that school boards need to think this through before there is a mass school shooting, not after.
Joseph Boyle