Project Grant 15JCOPS23GG04897SCAX

WITH THE INCREASED NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES OF VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT SCHOOL DISTRICTS TAKE EVERY MEANS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE CAMPUS. UNFORTUNATELY, FUNDING FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES SUCH AS WALK-THROUGH WEAPON DETECTORS, SECURITY CAMERAS, AND RADIOS ARE EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO FUND THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND OF A SCHOOL BUDGET. AS THE SEVENTH LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN LOUISIANA, CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD STRIVES TO PROVIDE A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION TO OVER 28,000 STUDENTS DAILY. WITH OVER 60 CAMPUSES, SAFETY AND SECURITY CAN BE DIFFICULT TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN. AFTER EVALUATING THE SECURITY STATUS OF EVERY CAMPUS, THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS DECIDED TO SEEK FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES TO BE APPLIED TO OUR CAMPUSES. PORTABLE WALK-THROUGH WEAPON DETECTORS (SUCH AS OPEN GATE), ADDITIONAL SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS, AND WEAPON DETECTION WANDS WOULD BE PURCHASED. WALK THROUGH WEAPON DETECTORS WOULD BE UTILIZED AT SINGLE POINTS OF ENTRY. SINCE PORTABLE DETECTORS WILL BE PURCHASED, THEY CAN BE UTILIZED AT OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN THE SCHOOL WHEN NOT IN USE DURING SCHOOL HOURS. THIS COULD INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO GRADUATIONS, SPORTING EVENTS, PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS, ETC. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS WILL BE SERVICED BY THESE PURCHASES. USING THESE WEAPONS DETECTIONS IN CONJUNCTION WITH INCREASED SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND NEWLY INSTALLED SECURITY FENCING WOULD ALLOW OUR CAMPUSES TO BECOME MORE HARDENED TARGETS. ADDITIONAL CAMERAS WOULD BE INSTALLED BOTH ON THE INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR OF BUILDINGS AS DETAILED IN THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT PERFORMED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SECURITY. DOOR ENTRY CAMERAS / ACCESS PANELS WOULD BE UTILIZED TO CONTROL THE ACCESS TO BUILDINGS. EXTERIOR FENCING WILL BE UTILIZED TO PROMOTE SINGLE POINTS OF ENTRY. OTHER PHYSICAL SECURITY EQUIPMENT WOULD INCLUDE A SECURITY FILM ON CURRENT WINDOWS AND DOORS AT SINGLE POINTS OF ENTRY TO ENSURE THAT GLASS IS NOT SHATTERED. COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL AND PARISH LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE ENHANCED THROUGH THE PURCHASE OF PORTABLE RADIOS. ALL PURCHASES, UPGRADES AND INSTALLATIONS WILL BE DRIVEN BY THE SECURITY ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF SECURITY. THE EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN OF THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE ADDITIONAL SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND REMODELING. COMMUNITY AND FAMILY FEEDBACK WILL BE SOLICITED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND SCHOOL GENERATED SURVEYS TO FAMILIES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS. SCHOOL SAFETY EFFORTS WILL BE EVALUATED BY THE SCHOOL SAFETY COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE WILL ENSURE THAT EFFORTS ALIGN WITH THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD STRATEGIC PLAN AS IT PERTAINS TO SAFETY AND SECURITY. WHILE THE COPS GRANT WILL NOT FUND ALL OF THE PURCHASES NEEDED TO FULLY SECURE OUR CAMPUSES, IT WOULD ALLOW BEGIN THE PROCESS OF SECURING OUR CAMPUSES WITH WEAPONS DETECTORS AND INCREASING OUR COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH RADIOS.