Somerville School District School Safety & Security December 11, 2018
Melissa McEntee - Director of 21st Century School Safety Specialist Dr. Timothy Teehan - Superintendent
Student & Personnel Matters ● By law, not permitted to discuss specific student or personnel matters in public ● Everything is investigated thoroughly and SPD notified when warranted ● District and school administration prioritize responsibilities ● Counselors and support staff available to assist when needed
DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES Educating students, staff, and community about safety and ● responsibility Safety measures ● Technology measures ● Filters & Alerts ○ Investigate all reports ● Communicate with students/parents/staff ● Model appropriate behavior including social media ●
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION PROCESS ● Social Media & District Accounts Reviewed ○ Shared with SPD ● All names and demographic info of anyone involved shared with SPD ○ File saved as school record ● District Policies enforced based on situation and investigation
SPD INVESTIGATION PROCESS Social Media Accounts ● All accounts, even ones that you think are hidden, can be traced and viewed ● Deleted or removed posts are not always totally deleted or removed and the ● police can gain access to these Subpoenas will be gathered for all Cell Phone, Laptops, and other Personal ● Devices Personal items could be taken for an extended period of time as evidence ● Home visit and possible search of your residence/personal space ● Some criminal charges, even if you are a juvenile, will always stay on your ● record
Timeline of Recent Incidents & Responses Incidents : Responses: Event 1: Friday, November 30th Staff Meetings: Tuesday, December 4th & ● ● Event 2: Saturday, December 1st Thursday, December 6th ● Event 3: Monday, December 3rd Student Assemblies: Thursday December 6th ● ● Event 4: Monday, December 3rd Student Meetings: Tuesday December 11 - ● ● Events 5-6: Wednesday, December 5th Thursday December 13 ● Rumors, hearsay, no physical SBOE Information Session: Tuesday, December ○ ● evidence of threat 11th
Communications 12/3 - (9:30 am) Instagram Issue (SM - E-mail/Text) ● 12/3 - (11:45 am) SHS Follow Up (SM - E-mail/Text) ● 12/3 - (11:45 am) SHS Intercom Announcement by Mr. Foley ● 12/3 - (8:13 pm) SHS Update 12/3/18 (SM - Letter/E-mail/Text) ● 12/5 - (10:30 am) SHS Intercom Announcement by Mr. Foley ● 12/6 - (11:42 am) SHS Update 12/6/18 (SM - Letter/E-mail/Text) ● 12/7 - (5:15 pm) SHS Update 12/7/18 (SM - Letter/E-mail/Text) ● 12/10 - (7:35 am) SHS Intercom Announcement from Mr. Foley ● 12/10 - (All Day) Conversations in ELA Classrooms 12/10-13 ●
Unfounded / Non-Credible Threats Investigated by school and District Administration ● Parents notified, interviews conducted ○ Investigated by SPD, Somerset County Prosecutor Office and/or local jurisdictions ● Police determine individual does not have the ability or intent to inflict harm ○ Target, Time & Place, Means ■ In general individuals post ○ “a joke” ■ “didn’t mean harm” ■ “wasn’t serious” ■ “Song lyrics” ■ Pictures, Memes & Emojis ■
SCHOOL SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS Emergency Management Planning Committee ● Somerville Police Department ○ Somerville Fire Department ○ Office of Emergency Management ○ Membership collaborates to analyze school safety ○ Plans are modified to address areas of improvement ■ Monthly drill monitoring and feedback (SPD, SFD, OEM, SCD) ● NJ Law (one drill with law enforcement per school, per year) ○ Monthly Somerset County School Safety Specialist Meetings ●
SCHOOL SAFETY PARTNERSHIPS Police walk hallways and visit classrooms ● All police rotate through buildings so they are familiar ● DARE program VDV & SMS ● Somerville Emergency Management Committee meetings ● Security Ad Hoc Committee ● B-Con training cohorts ● Form a focus group for school safety ● Walk buildings with lens of vulnerability ○ Review submitted safety improvement suggestions ○
STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOL (SRP) ● Created by the I Love You Guys Foundation ● Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office ○ Led Somerset County in SRP adoption ○ Created and shared resources to local districts ● Annually train staff and students ● Implemented standard announcements
IT TAKES A VILLAGE ● Students, staff, and community need to be proactive ○ Report anyone/anything suspicious to District and School Administration or Police ● Proactive mental health philosophy districtwide ○ School psychologists for all students ○ Guidance counselors ○ Social workers ○ Caring staff
PARENT/GUARDIAN RESPONSIBILITIES ● Model proper Social Media presence ● Monitor your child’s Social Media accounts ● Talk with children about social media posts ● Talk about digital footprint ● Don’t spread rumors, which can cause unwarranted concern ● Report concerns to school officials/police
Safety Improvement Suggestions & Questions ● Link posted on websites ● Please visit this link to submit safety improvement suggestions http://bit.ly/villesafety
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