How Tech Can Bolster School Security and Help Prevent the Next School Shooting

How Tech Can Bolster School Security and Help Prevent the Next School Shooting

There is no single approach or solution that can help protect schools.

U.S. schools have closed for summer recess. But, school administrators won’t be taking a break. Instead, they will be trying to figure out how they can increase security measures to protect children and staff from gun violence when they return for the next school year.

There is no single approach or solution that can help protect schools. But, there are technologies that are currently in use commercially and by law enforcement agencies that can be tailored to a school setting to further secure school campuses. These technology systems, combined with effective building fortifications, can help school administrators bolster security programs in their schools. 

A Concentric Approach to Security

Security professionals around the world rely on a layered approach to security that entails an inner, middle and outer perimeter. The inner perimeter, which is primarily the main school building, would consist of a number of security fortifications to harden the school structure. The establishment of a middle and outer perimeter would essentially serve to extend security measures beyond the inner perimeter. The outer perimter would encompass the external boundaries of a school property to include access roads to parking lots, entry sidewalks and student/guest parking areas. The establishment of a middle perimeter would be dependent on the types of security features deployed and would lie somewhere in-between the outer and inner perimeters. 

The Technology

In an effort to keep schools safe from gun violence, there are several technologies currently deployed by law enforcement agencies that help to identify subjects for follow up investigation:

Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) systems utilize high-tech cameras with accompanying software to detect the license plate of a car. Some of these ALPR systems also utilize sophisticated data analytics, to help locate vehicles in question, or even identify a license plate number, when that vehicle has been used in connection with a past crime. These systems also have been used in a number of documented instances to locate missing children or kidnapped individuals by locating a subject vehicle. ALPR systems have also been used commercially as security measures to identify vehicles that do not belong at a particular location (unknown vehicle) or a vehicle that security officials have identified as a security risk (known vehicle).

ALPR systems can be reconfigured for use in a school security setting to assist school security officials to help identify a vehicle that does not belong on a campus or conversely, flag a vehicle that is restricted from being on school grounds. These camera systems would be deployed on the outer perimeter, typically on an access road either approaching or entering a school parking lot.   

Facial recognition programs are currently deployed in numerous security settings commercially and may be tailored to a particular security setting like a school. Commercial security applications have utilized facial recognition solutions as access control systems to allow entry for authorized individuals or to help identify an individual with restricted access. 

Many states have either passed or are contemplating Red Flag legislation. A student who has been “red flagged” is an individual deemed to be “at-risk.” This process typically involves some type of action by law enforcement to restrict access to firearms along with some type of intervention by mental health professionals. Furthermore, this type of “red flag” status may include restricted access to school grounds during the intervention period by those professionals. With facial recognition, school officials would be alerted to an unauthorized entry by the flagged student before they make entry inside a school (middle perimeter). This security feature would also apply to other types of unauthorized individuals such as a former employee, a person with a restraining order, or an individual identified as a sexual predator.   

These security strategies, working in concert with existing security measures, have the goal of expanding out the inner perimeter to create additional security buffers. Incorporating these security technologies into an integrated security plan will help to identify an intruder or potential active shooter before they enter inside a school building. The goal of these security measures is to alert first responders as quickly as possible and allow for a rapid response to interdict a potential intruder in the outer or middle perimeter. By design, the measures operate as a layered security approach and provide built-in redundancy as an alert system. Furthermore, these security measures serve as a potential deterrence to an at-risk student or other potential intruder who knows security personnel inside of a school will be alerted that they are on the school grounds. 

The above-described security concept not only serves to create additional layers of security but also can be integrated into the school’s existing business process. Any new security technology being considered for adaptation into a school environment should have the capability to integrate with existing school administrative procedures. All schools have an existing business process for identification of students, faculty and staff that utilizes student IDs and other forms of identification. Furthermore, the business process of a school also includes the regulation of student and staff parking on its grounds. Facial recognition and license plate readers can be seamlessly integrated into the school’s existing business process, while adding new value through enhanced security. 

Conclusion

Despite the ongoing debates about security measures and our schools, these cross-over technologies adapted to school settings are minimally intrusive, affordable and apolitical. They merely serve as a notification or alert system to security officials, school administrators and law enforcement officers to help prevent a critical incident. Schools need to be safe havens from crime and security measures in place are there not only to protect students and staff but also to give them a sense of feeling safe from harm.   

There is no one solution to prevent school shootings, just as there is no one cause. It will take a multi-faceted approach, from early intervention and mental health services for at-risk children, to better coordination between schools, parents, mental health professionals and law enforcement.

Featured

  • Analysis of AI Tools Shows 85 Percent Have Been Breached

    AI tools are becoming essential to modern work, but their fast, unmonitored adoption is creating a new kind of security risk. Recent surveys reveal a clear trend – employees are rapidly adopting consumer-facing AI tools without employer approval, IT oversight, or any clear security policies. According to Cybernews Business Digital Index, nearly 90% of analyzed AI tools have been exposed to data breaches, putting businesses at severe risk. Read Now

  • Software Vulnerabilities Surged 61 Percent in 2024, According to New Report

    Action1, a provider of autonomous endpoint management (AEM) solutions, today released its 2025 Software Vulnerability Ratings Report, revealing a 61% year-over-year surge in discovered software vulnerabilities and a 96% spike in exploited vulnerabilities throughout 2024, amid an increasingly aggressive threat landscape. Read Now

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.