New York’s Staten Island. By the end of this school year, new safety measures will be installed on Staten Island, and New York City is working to lock the front doors of all public schools.
The city said in 2023 that the Safer Access system, a door-locking technology, would be implemented. After kids arrive for class, the front doors of schools are secured, and anyone wishing to enter after that must first show themselves to a school safety officer.
After a months-long pilot run, the operation to lock all front doors started in May 2023. As part of phase 1, the city’s Department of Education (DOE) began locking the front doors of every primary school.
As of January 24, the DOE reports that 78% of all Staten Island public schools have the systems in place.
The DOE estimates that 17 middle and high schools and four elementary schools, which make up the remaining 22% of Staten Island schools, will be finished this academic year.
Seven percent of all schools in the city are located on Staten Island.
The Safer Access system was in place in 95% of the city’s elementary schools as of January. The front doors of at least half of all middle and high schools are now locked as part of phase 2.
The system’s goal is to prevent nefarious individuals from entering school premises. The new method is used to train school safety agents.
A school safety agent can use the system to manage access from the main desk.
Through a two-way video system, the visitor can communicate with the school safety agent. After the guest confirms their meeting or business at the school, the agent can buzz them in.
No one is able to enter through the open doors.
If there is an event and the entrance is secured, officials have also ensured that first responders or police can readily enter the school building.
According to DOE regulation, all doors in schools without the Safer Access system are locked and alarmed, with the exception of the front doors, which are watched over by one or more school safety agents.
Visitors must stop at the front desk upon entering these schools, present identification, and explain their purpose for being there. Visitors must wear a visiting pass sticker at certain schools until they leave the premises.
The Safer Access system was supposed to be implemented in every school by the end of 2025, according DOE’s initial plans, which were released in 2023.
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