Project Grant 15JCOPS23GG04567SSIX

1.WHY THE PROJECT IS NEEDED: THE THAYER RII SCHOOL DISTRICT RESIDES IN A COMMUNITY OF ABOUT 2,000 PEOPLE IN A RURAL AREA NEXT TO A HEAVILY USED HIGHWAY AND RAILROAD TRACKS. WITH THESE HEAVY TRAFFIC AREAS COME DANGERS THAT COULD HELP DRIFTERS LOITER NEXT TO THE SCHOOL CAMPUS IN AREAS SUCH AS MCDONALD'S, WALMART, OR THE LOCAL GROCERY STORE. OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYS SIX FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICERS, OFTEN ONLY ONE OFFICER ON DUTY AT A TIME. THIS MAKES RESPONDING TO CALLS DIFFICULT AT TIMES DUE TO STAFFING. OTHER DEPARTMENTS TAKE ROUGHLY 20 TO 30 MINUTES FOR ANY RESPONSE. OFTEN IN SITUATIONS REGARDING ANY EMERGENCY, SECONDS COUNT, AND ANY DIVERSION OR OBSTACLE THAT A PERSON OR ORGANIZATION CAN CREATE TO SLOW ANY ILL INTENT IS A MUST. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN VICTIM TO TRESPASSING AND THEFT AND HAS HAD A FEW OCCASIONS WHERE FIREARMS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO SCHOOL AND FOOTBALL GAMES OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS. WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THE COUNTRY, MANY PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE ARE MOVING TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH MEANS THAT WE NO LONGER KNOW WHO EVERYONE IS OR THEIR HISTORY. HOWEVER, EVEN BEFORE THE CURRENT SITUATION THAT DROVE PEOPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY, THAYER HAD A DRUG ISSUE. OFTEN DRUGS CAUSE PEOPLE TO DO THINGS THAT THEY WOULD NOT NORMALLY DO, AND UNFORTUNATELY, SCHOOLS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY FALL VICTIM TO AN UNFORTUNATE CIRCUMSTANCE. AFTER CONDUCTING A SCHOOLS PROTECTIVE MEASURES ASSESSMENT, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS VULNERABLE REGARDING ENTRY CONTROL, FENCING AND GATES, BUILDING ENVELOPE, AND PARKING BARRIERS. 2.HOW THE APPLICANT WILL ADDRESS THE NEED: THE THAYER RII SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ALREADY STARTED ADDRESSING NEEDS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS. SOME EXAMPLES ARE REPLACING ALL EXTERIOR GLASS DOORS AT THE ELEMENTARY BUILDING, ADDING FENCING AROUND THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION BUILDING, ADDING ROUGHLY 100 INDIVIDUAL TRAUMA KITS, ADDING PARKING BARRIERS IN NECESSARY LOCATIONS, AND ADDING EXTERIOR LIGHTING FOR SECURITY. HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EXHAUSTED ALL RESOURCES WORKING ON THIS PROJECT AND NEEDS FURTHER FUNDING TO COMPLETE OUR PROJECT. WITH THE SUPPORT AND ADDITIONAL FUNDING, THE THAYER SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANS TO CONTINUE THE PROJECT ADDRESSING THE NEED FOR ENTRY CONTROL, FENCING AND GATES, SECURITY FILM, AND LIGHTING. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO UPGRADE THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DOORS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING. THE HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING IS 64 YEARS OLD, AND WITH AGE COMES UNSECURED AREAS. THE EXTERIOR DOORS OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ARE MADE OF GLASS, WITH GLASS PANES AROUND THE GLASS DOORS. AS SEEN IN THE NASHVILLE SCHOOL SHOOTING RECENTLY, THE GLASS WILL NOT PROVIDE AN SRO OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ANY EXTRA TIME TO RESPOND TO A THREAT OF AN ACTIVE INTRUDER. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PLANS TO REPLACE THESE DOORS WITH NEW ONES AND FILL THE AREA AROUND THE DOOR WITH CONCRETE BLOCKS, MAKING THE ENTRY LESS LIKELY THAT AN INTRUDER WOULD GET IN AND ALLOWING LAW ENFORCEMENT TIME TO RESPOND TO THE THREAT. OUTDOOR EVENTS, SUCH AS FOOTBALL OR BASEBALL GAMES, AND EVEN SIGNIFICANT EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS THE 4THOF JULY, ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL WHO MAY COME INTO THE STADIUM AREAS. THE DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO HELP MAINTAIN ENTRY INTO THESE AREAS BY ADDING FENCES AND GATES TO CONTROL EVENTGOERS' ACCESS. THIS WOULD ALSO HELP PREVENT DAMAGE TO FIELDS, FIELD HOUSES, OR VEHICLES IN THE LOCKED AND SECURE AREAS FROM VANDALISM. THIS WOULD ALSO ALLOW GATEKEEPERS TO BE CLOSER TO ADMINISTRATION AND CROWDS. AT THIS TIME, GATEKEEPERS ARE A DISTANCE AWAY FROM ANYONE TO HELP IF SOMEONE WERE TO TRY TO STEAL MONEY OR HARM THEM. THE DISTRICT HAS ADDED LIGHTING TO HALF OF THE STADIUM AREA PARKING, WHICH HAS CUT DOWN ON THEFTS DURING EVENTS. THE DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO ADD LIGHTING TO THE OTHER HALF OF THE PARKING LOT. DUE TO THE RISE IN SCHOOL VIOLENCE NATIONWIDE, THE THAYER RII SCHOOL DISTRICT CONDUCTED A PROTECTIVE MEASURES ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE VULNERABILITIES. THE PROTECTIVE MEASURES ASSESSMENT SCORES BY SECTION WERE AS FOLLOWS, IN THE SECURITY/EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AREA, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SCORED SLIGHTLY OVER 50% OF 100%. IN THE AREA OF SECURITY FORCE, THE DISTRICT SCORED 75% OUT OF 100% IN THE AREA OF ENTRY CONTROL, THE DISTRICT SCORED 40% OF 100% IN THE AREA OF FENCING AND GATES, THE DISTRICT SCORED A LITTLE LESS THAN 30% OF 100% IN THE AREA OF PARKING AND BARRIERS, THE DISTRICT SCORED A LITTLE MORE THAN 40% OF 100% IN THE AREA OF BUILDING ENVELOPE, THE DISTRICT SCORED 40% OUT OF 100% IN THE AREA OF CCV-VSS, THE DISTRICT SCORED JUST UNDER 50% OUT OF 100%