Is your district ready for violence?

Published 9:00 pm Tuesday, December 12, 2006

After a 30-year-career in law enforcement, emergency management and school security, I’m convinced that unless there is an indication that a violent incident is imminent, there is nothing that can be done except to be prepared in advance to respond to the types of incidents which have occurred recently in schools in the United States and other countries. In these situations there has been much criticism by an uninformed and uneducated public.

There are important issues that should be addressed through participation of parents, law enforcement, school staff and school boards to determine what they feel is best for the schools in their districts and how a response would be conducted in these situations within their schools. School boards working with these groups must determine who will do what and how it will be accomplished. Is it the policy of your local law enforcement agency to assess the situation and wait for help, or will they immediately take aggressive action? Will school staff immediately respond and lock down the school building? In advance will students be instructed to run away when confronted in a situation with an armed person, hunker down, or in some school districts in the country, be advised to attack the attacker? In my experience I have not seen a coordinated effort regarding who will do what and how it will be done. I sincerely believe these issues should be coordinated through school board policy, parents, staff and those agencies that respond to these types of situations.

I would encourage parents to ask their schools superindentent, not their school principal, “What is the policy in your school district in these types of situations?” If you are not satisfied with the answer you receive, then I would advise you to get involved.

Jim Tagart

Snohomish