Dear Editor,

We were all alarmed at the news concerning a submachine gun being found in the bag of seven-year-old child on a school compound.

The prevalence of firearms in this country continues to escalate despite efforts by border protection units and the constabulary to stem the flow of guns. Clearly, this minor was used as a means of transportation for later retrieval by someone in our society who has evil intent.

The Ministry of Education and Youth needs to conduct a comprehensive physical security risk assessment of schools. Most of our schools have gaps in their first line of defence — the perimeter fence/wall. Some schools are located beside volatile communities which make them more prone to being used as places to stow weapons and their students as transporters.

I believe that the National School Security Policy needs to be strengthened with a focus on preventative measures that can be employed to keep weapons out of our schools. There have been instances when students and teachers have been harmed by bladed weapons.

The national school security and safety policy contains good initiatives, most of which are low-hanging fruits that can be fixed administratively from within the schools. However, security is a broad concern which requires professionals to adequately look at all security-related risks and make recommendations for the appropriate treatment.

After conducting a security risk assessment of the schools, I believe the outside-in approach should be adopted and funds allocated to fix any vulnerabilities at the first line of defence. Entry points should be configured to allow for channelled access control, and some schools may require the installation of walk-through metal detectors, use of hand-held metal detectors, and physical searches by professional security personnel. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras should be installed to cover suspect areas. The treatment employed will depend on the risks. Finally, a security aware culture should be fostered among the school population.

Security in schools should be seen as part of the administration of the school. The board should treat it as an integral component of its standard operating procedures. Instead of focusing on minimising costs, we should see and position security as an investment that drives value, and nothing is more valuable than life. This means integrating security into the business goals and making it a fundamental part of the strategic planning.

Carlos Pipher

carlospipher@gmail.com