School Protection

There is a growing concern around the world that schools and colleges are now becoming subject to violent crime from students who are smuggling knives and weapons onto the premises, often concealed in their clothing or satchels.

With various violent crimes emerging world-wide, from knife to gun crime, people are starting to raise the question: can students be adequately protected from violent crimes?

Statistics from the UK's National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) on serious physical assaults show a significant rise in incidents last year, and warned that crime involving weapons was spilling over from the streets into schools.

Schools have been struggling to find a balance between security and openness for years.

However, as a result of technology becoming more developed and affordable, many schools are now considering the use of sophisticated scanning machines and equipment to detect pupils carrying knives.

For example, in the U. K., the Police Scientific Development Branch has recently been deploying a novel and innovative scanner that reveals items hidden below clothing without the need for a hands-on intrusive body search. The device uses low power x-rays to build up an image of the surface of the body through clothing. The resultant black and white image can be used to identify the location of weapons, drugs and explosives located upon the person.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens said two £100,000 devices would be offered initially to schools in the London area where there were particular concerns about weapons.

The use of the scanner significantly increases the throughput of subjects and allows operations to be conducted in a more efficient manner. The Home Office as confirmed success of the use of deploying x-ray scanning devices to help secure schools.

Parent-teacher associations have also suggested that schools will have to follow the American example and install metal detectors to check for pupils attempting to smuggle in knives or guns.

In 1994, the US federal government began requiring school safety programs in an attempt to crack down on violence on school grounds. Many schools introduced metal detectors to check for guns, knives and other weapons.

The year after the measures were introduced, violent deaths on high school campuses across the United States dropped from an estimated 50 incidents a year to less than half that number.

Westminster's Answer

Westminster believes that prevention is a key factor in trying to avoid tragedies on school ground. In order to protect both staff and students of schools that are concerned about weapons, it is essential that plans are made to help combat effectively the emerging problem.

Westminster believes that measures such as single entrances, metal scanning/x-ray scanning, access control, CCTV, intruder alert, staff attack and even police officers on school sites should be part of the planning. Various other security-related measures might also be worth considering, such as Safety Film, Entry bollards and Electronic gates.

School Entrance Security

Single entrances will ensure everyone passes through your security - whether it be walk-through scanners or CCTV monitoring. Our range of both walk-through and hand-held metal scanners can be installed and operated easily without the overhead of a large expense to provide the necessary protection.

Our new SecureShoe product can also be installed, that can easily and quickly scan the feet and lower body for concealed weapons.

Access Control

Various Access Control systems are also being considered to protect entrances and/or areas that students should not have entry to.With the introduction of swipe-cards, you can enable only authorised entry into a particular area, thus ensuring effective security is in place.

CCTV

Surveillance through the use of Closed-Circuit Television Systems (CCTV) is also becoming a standard in society, which is now seen in almost all high-streets, car-parks, buildings and especially entry and exit points. With the deployment of a CCTV surveillance system, you will be able to effectively monitor all areas of concern, including people with suspicious activity.

Intruder alert

Intruder alarm systems are now considered a security must. Most peoples homes have some form of an alarm system. Westminster's Intruder alarm systems provide a 24 hour, 365 days a year monitoring service, which ensures a prompt response by police, key holders or service engineers.

Staff Attack

School staff and employees are now also feeling vulnerable as more and more cases of pupils are found to be smuggling weapons into the school premises. Westminster's staff attack will ensure that if a staff member is at threat that help can be summoned quickly and efficiently.

Safety Film

Safety Film provides glass containment and glazing safety. The safety film provides protection in the event that the glass is smashed or attacked, whether as a result of vandelism or accidental, to protect both students and staff from fragments of glass etc.

Truancy

Police officers are now being equipped with mobile cameras as they patrol the streets where the video footage is digitally stored.
This is primarily used as a deterrent as the public are aware of the mobile surveillance in operation. Thus, Anti Social Behaviour and Truancy could be dramatically reduced.

The Double Vision Pro is Westminster’s mobile video and audio surveillance solution supplied with a digital hard drive for longer and higher quality recording.

Crowd control and temporary security barriers (rapid deployment barriers) are often imployed as a form of control to protect areas from problems relating to riots, marches and panic.

Cheating & Disruptions

Cheating in school exams has always been an issue for both schools and examination boards. With the development of mobile phones and text messaging, it has made it even harder to prevent answers being shared amongst pupils. For conference meetings or theatres, plays and libraries, it is disruptive to have a mobile phone ring. Westminster is now offering an affordable solution. Our GSM Mobile Frequency Jammer will scramble signal for all networks in areas where mobile phones are prohibited! Thus, it provides a very cost affective way to control communicating devices utilising the GSM frequencies!

There are many other products that are available, so whatever your requirements are Westminster can provide you with the products that will help protect and secure your environment.

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