Answer

Safety Measures at Miami Dade College

Introduction

• In the modern age, security for both the teachers and the students seem s to be the main priority of every school.
• For more than a decade, almost 200 schools have experienced shootings taking away the lives of more than 350 victims.
• However, many schools have invested heavily to sustain security measures and a majority have proved to be effective (Tanner-Smith et al., 2018).
• Some of the security measures that many schools have installed include:
  • Installing CCTV cameras,
  • Safety bankers,
  • Reinforced doors,
  • Using technology to take a background check of every visitor
  • Direct communication with law enforcers.
• With the continuous rise in crime and violence in schools, stakeholders from different schools have now considered security for both the teachers and the students as their main priority. For more than a decade, almost 200 schools have experienced shootings taking away the lives of more than 350 victims. However, analysts suggest that with effective security measures already installed in different schools, the number of attacks has significantly plummeted. Some of the precautionary actions that various schools have considered include installing CCTV cameras, safety bankers, reinforced doors, using technology to take a background check of every visitor, and direct communication with law enforcers.

Soft and Hard Spots at Miami Dade College

• The most vulnerable places for an imminent attack include:
  • football field,
  • cafeteria,
  • parking lot
• The hardest places that any criminal would find it difficult to access would be:
  • Administration
  • library
  • Amphitheater
  • Health Center

At Miami Dade College, the most vulnerable places for an imminent attack is the football field, cafeteria, and the parking lot. Despite having installed cameras, these areas are susceptible to criminal activities since they are located at the periphery of the school’s borderline. All the same, the hardest place that any criminal would be is in the administration, library and the amphitheater since they are more centrally located within the school grounds.

Security Measures at Miami Dade College

• Some of the security measures pre-installed at Miami Dade College include:
  • Security Camera- The school has positioned cameras around the school, along the hallways, classrooms and playing grounds (Gerlinger & Wo, 2016).
  • Patrol: Officers from the sheriff department have been assigned to patrol the school on a regular basis.
  • Communication: There is a direct linkage to the sheriff’s department via technological tools (Lerner, D. G. (2017).

Some of the security measures that the school has installed include cameras, conducting safety routine drills in case of an attack, and a direct linkage to the sheriff’s department via technological tools..

Crime and Statistics

• In 2019, Miami Dade College reported 46 criminal incidents within and around the school.
• 97% of criminal incidents happened within the school (College et al., 2021).
• Disciplinary actions amounted to 17.4 percent.
• Arrests linked to possessions reached 13 percent.
• Arrests on major crime reached 34.8 percent

The common types of crime reported in the school include possession of illegal drugs, bullying and violence. 

Policies and Recommendations

Policies:

• Both the student and the faculty are safe is undertaking regular drills of how individuals can take precautions in case of an attack (Thompson, 2016).
• Teachers could also be provided with fobs, a mobile safety button which they can press to notify authorities of an imminent attack.

Recommendations:

• The school could consider allocating firearms to specific teachers

Other than the pre-installed measures, the school could consider allocating firearms to specific teachers who will be prompted to action whenever an attack occurs within the school premises. However, these teachers will be required to surrender their firearms whenever they go to teach. Also, students with criminal records ought to be monitored closely to avoid any surprise attack.