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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. January 9, 2012. UPDATED January 10, 2013:
Thirty-two persons, including several members of the Board of Education, and teachers turned out to see Dr. Christopher Clouet, White Plains Superintendent of Schools speak on security procedures in the city schools at the regular meeting of the White Plains Council of Neighborhood Associations Tuesday evenings.
Clouet first assured parents on school security in a letter commenting on the Newtown, Connecticut, Sandy Hook School attack, written December 17 that said, in part:
“All schools have an updated comprehensive Safety Plan . All schools have a trained Crisis Response Team- since 1999 . All schools have Emergency/Safety Drills that are practiced throughout the school year. All schools have security cameras and monitors.”
Clouet announced last night he would be meeting with the District Safety Committee today (which includes a representative from the White Plains Department of Public Safety) to address enhancement of security procedures that could consider more exterior video cameras, and redesign of school entrances.
He assured the audience that White Plains has a security expert who reviews, consults, and evaluates security regularly in the White Plains schools, and that the city Department of Public Safety is deeply involved in evaluating and fine-tuning the district ability to protect its school population.
He announced that all schools have only one point of entry, and that all visitors to schools, must identify themselves.
Clouet told WPCNR currently, “If we know you, you are allowed in, otherwise you have to identify yourself.” He also said that arrangements in how White Plains Police work with the schools have been adjusted since the Newtown attack.
Clouet said the schools regularly put the student body and school staffs through fire drills, evacuation drills, and lockdown drills, and practice procedures to be followed in an attack in progress. He said the procedures have been observed and “vetted” by the White Plains Department of Public Safety, which advises in the preparation of defense strategies.
In response to a parent who asked about procedures to pickup students in the event of a serious incident, Clouet said those procedures are being reviewed and will be distributed to the parents. He mentioned though, that in a “lockdown,” parents would not be allowed to come to the school involved to pick up their children.
He said in response to a suggestion that the school sociologists and counselors pay closer attention to troubled students, Clouet said this would be discussed with the psychologists and staff. Another questioner suggested a dialogue on violent video games, entertainment and their effects on young persons. Clouet acknowledged that was a direction that needed to be looked at it, but pointed out that violence in entertainment, television and movies was unavoidable that it was part of the nation’s cultural environment.
Clouet reported he had spoken regularly with Mayor Thomas Roach on security procedures since the Newtown attack. Fred Seiler, Assistant Superintendent for Business, who is responsible for district security, said that the state legislature may be considering specific financial aid for school security that may be a possible funding source for any enhancements the district wants to implement, (limiting impact on the 2013-14 school budget).
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At Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, Father Thomas Collins issued this statement to WPCNR on Stepinac reaction:
“We reviewed and updated our crisis management plan, plus we have conducted drills for both lockdown and evacuation. We continue to heighten our security to best the security of our students.
We are looking into having the WP Department of Public Safety review our plans. We will contact both them and parents to consult our safety procedures. “
