Safety at Grant

What makes Grant safe?

Grant+Security+Officer%2C+Alex%2C+on+duty+at+the+back+door+of+the+school.

Delilah Yerushalmi

Grant Security Officer, Alex, on duty at the back door of the school.

Dylaeni A, News Writer

With the various tragedies, threats, shootings, substance abuse, etc, happening at schools all over the world, especially in America, the question looms over us all, “Is it safe at my school?”. Safety at schools is a concern for students, parents, and school staff alike. Every school has its own strengths and weaknesses in all aspects. 

   At Grant, all of the students who replied in a 20 person survey said they feel safe in a general sense, but when it was broken down to more specific details, the numbers shifted. Only 60% of those same participants believe that Grant uses effective security to prevent mental, physical, and social harm to students and staff. While all participating students believe that staff and security care about the safety of the students, Luigi Natalino, a junior at Grant, believes that part of the reason Grant’s security isn’t at its best is due to the lack of ID checks. Luigi “think(s) it might be beneficial to have your ID visible somewhere on your body”. A small group of Grant’s students were asked specifically about the ID checks, they all agreed that checking IDs or having them visible would be extremely beneficial to the safety on campus at Grant. All students also agreed that in their years at Grant, none of them had been asked to show an ID at any point.

      The next item of concern for many was the security officers themselves, when asked what makes a good security guard, Wyatt Atlee says “They should be visible. They should be approachable, but they shouldn’t be like friends with the students”. Another concern agreed upon by Natalino, he comments that students “should be comfortable-but like aware of their (security’s) authority”. Students feel that while it’s not perfect, Grant is generally a safe school. Atlee says that, ideally, “it needs to be a welcoming environment that feels safe in order to be safe”. It comes down to the heart of the school, and the people within it. Staff and Security Officers work hard every day to ensure the safety of every student, on and off campus, ensuring that all Bulldogs are taken care of. Although nothing can be flawless, no matter if it’s mental, social, or physical safety, there is always someone at Grant there to ensure safety of each person who enters campus. 

 

Hall Passes (Delilah Yerushalmi)