Students have been relying on friends and strangers to open the exterior school doors out of convenience. Concerns have been raised by both students and parents over whether or not it is a security hazard.
According to a study on U.S. school procedures by Pew Research, 97% of K-12 schools have restricted access to buildings by controlling access to outer doors by locking and monitoring loading docks. Students are left wondering if this is enough to keep harm out of school, as they recognize there are risks associated with opening doors where a possible threat is prevalent.
“I see this happening every other day but I’m sure it happens five to ten or even 20 times a day. I do think the potential of a threat is there,” said senior Henrick Miller.
In some cases, students mean no harm when opening the doors for others.
“Sometimes I only let my friends in. I know they just left school to grab some food during lunch,” said junior Ryan Cyril.
Opening the doors for anyone can heighten the chance of a possible threat to the school.
“Without a doubt, opening doors for anyone only increases the likelihood of an active shooter on campus,” said a Department of Defense (DOD) officer and WS parent who requested anonymity due to safety concerns connected to their job.
Some argue for punishment for the student who opened the door, citing the need for setting a precedent, while some believe otherwise.
“I can understand why students might open the door, they just wanna be nice and help out. At the same time, I don’t think many of us realize the risks, but at the end of the day there has to be something done about it,” said senior Dawson Mitchum.
In the balance between convenience and safety, the simple act of opening doors can hold more weight than students may realize. While a gesture of kindness may show the student’s helpful spirit, it presents a real challenge to student safety.
“If I was the principal, my job would be the safety and security of everyone. I would have, at a very minimum, a team of six, two on patrol, two fixed on the most vulnerable entrances and two monitoring cameras,” said the anonymous DOD police officer, firearms instructor and parent.
While some students don’t see a need for enforcement, some parents and security professionals say that there is always room for improvement by taking additional security measures. The safety of students is a shared responsibility, one that requires the cooperation of everyone on campus including parents.
“We have 14 doors, we have 2,700 kids, it’s very hard to police. Students just need to make sure they don’t open doors for other people, everyone should enter through door one and sign in with the main office,” said WS safety and security specialist Bradley Adams.
