Lots of Unanswered Questions When Discussing School Security Issues

Lots of Unanswered Questions When Discussing School Security Issues

  • By Ginger Hill
  • Mar 12, 2013

It seems that America is on high-alert when it comes to school and campus security with many schools, colleges and universities taking drastic measures to improve the safety and security for students, faculty and staff. I’m bombarded daily with article after article of what a certain school has done to increase their security measures, which I believe is the perfect response to all the school tragedies that American schools have endured over the recent years. However, when I receive news like I am about to share with you, I get extremely frustrated as I ponder about one unanswered question, “How?”

Early Friday morning, around 1:45am, three men and two guns not only got past the on-duty security official but managed to somehow breach the key card system that is required to enter into Kutztown University’s dormitory. (Hence, my question, “How?”)

Once inside the men knocked on one of the resident’s doors, and when the student opened the door to his dorm room, the assailants, dressed head-to-toe in black, forced their way inside. The men proceeded to search the room, strike one of the students and flee, without taking a single item.

Matt Santos, a Kutztown University spokesman told NBC, “These individuals bullied their way in and made their way to this particular room. It was definitely a breach of security.”

To which I immediately reply with, “Duh!? Now, what is the university going to do to enhance the security and safety of its campus, students, faculty and staff? How did the men get past not one but two layers of security? Who were the men that participated in this incident? Why did this happen in the first place? What is the university’s plan moving forward?”

(Of course, no answer is given as I am shouting at my computer screen.)

Fortunately, this incident did not result in any fatalities or major injuries, but if three men could stroll past a security guard and somehow alter the key card system, allowing them entrance, there’s no telling what could happen next. 

In the meantime, officials are left to put the pieces of this incident together to solve yet another campus security breach.

(Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/11/17274682-armed-intruders-break-into-college-dorm-in-pennsylvania?lite)

About the Author

Ginger Hill is Group Social Media Manager.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.