NCJ Number
48687
Journal
AMERICAN SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY Volume: 49 Issue: 8 Dated: (JUNE 1977) Pages: 29-31,33
Date Published
1977
Length
4 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE SCHOOL SECURITY CONCERNS AND COSTS, QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO 1,000 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE 313 VALID RESPONSES (31.3 PERCENT) WERE THEN ASSESSED.
Abstract
OF RESPONDING DISTRICTS, 34.5 PERCENT INDICATED SECURITY WAS A MAJOR CONCERN, WHILE 42.5 PERCENT REPORTED SECURITY TO BE OF LITTLE OR NO CONCERN, AND 23 PERCENT FOUND SECURITY OF CONCERN BUT NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM. IN GENERAL, THE LARGER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE GREATER THE CONCERN: 72 PERCENT OF DISTRICTS WITH MORE THAN 25,000 PUPILS EXPRESSED MAJOR CONCERN. THE FIRST RESPONSE TO SECURITY CONCERNS APPEARS TO BE TO HIRE SECURITY GUARDS. OVER HALF THE DISTRICTS WITH 5,000 OR MORE PUPILS HAVE SECURITY GUARDS, WHILE FEWER THAN 20 PERCENT OF THE SMALLER DISTRICTS HAVE ANY SECURITY GUARDS. ALTHOUGH MANY DISTRICTS ARE RELUCTANT TO EMPLOY SECURITY GUARDS, THE MAJORITY EMPLOY ONE OR MORE SECURITY DEVICES. LOCAL POLICE PATROLS ARE USED BY FOUR OUT OF FIVE DISTRICTS SURVEYED, AND WELL OVER HALF THE DISTRICTS STAGGER CUSTODIAL HOURS AS A SECURITY MEASURE. SILENT AND AUDIBLE ALARM SYSTEMS AND SPECIAL LOCKS ARE ALSO POPULAR SECURITY DEVICES, PARTICULARLY IN LARGER DISTRICTS. BY FAR, VANDALISM IS VIEWED AS THE MAJOR SCHOOL SECURITY PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF THE SIZE OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS. WASHROOM INCIDENTS, THEFTS FROM BREAK-INS, DRUGS, AND INTERNAL THEFT WERE ALSO REPORTED AS MAJOR PROBLEMS BY MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE AVERAGE LARGE DISTRICT SPENDS $140,00 OR MORE PER YEAR ON SECURITY, WHILE THE AVERAGE SMALL DISTRICT SPENDS ABOUT $2,600. IN MOST DISTRICTS, THE COST OF VANDALISM EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT SPENT ON SECURITY. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT GIVE AN ACCURATE PICTURE OF THE COST OF VANDALISM WHEN THE INADEQUATE REPORTING AND TABULATING TECHNIQUES OF MOST DISTRICTS ARE CONSIDERED. (JAP)