Prosecutor Briefs Freeholders on School Lockdowns

CREST HAVEN – It was a chilling, sad commentary on what the county’s schools must be ready to confront any day. On Feb. 26, Cape May County Prosecutor Robert Taylor and Chief of County Detectives Kenneth Super updated freeholders on school lockdowns in an “active shooter” incident.
“There is a lot of clamor in North Jersey that they are teaching teachers (about shooter situations),” said Taylor. “We have been doing this for years and years. Cape May County is ahead of counties in North Jersey.”
An 18-minute video portrayed what steps are taken by school and law enforcement officers in such a situation. Super told the board that county law enforcement agencies have adopted a “rapid deployment toward a shooter.” Since a wave of such home-grown terrorism is sweeping the nation, he said all Cape May County schools practice lockdown procedures once a month, similar to fire drills.
Schools are not the only facility where shooting incidents may occur, he noted. That means the building in which he spoke as well as the county court house and any other public building would be handled in a similar fashion to a school.
The video highlighted procedures every teacher must follow, including early reporting of any suspicious people around the school. Then, when the alert is given, classroom doors are locked, students told to get down, and lights are turned off.
Super said all local police departments are trained, and there are annual multi-agency drills to hone their skills in responding to such a situation.
He said a 10-member Rapid Response Team was formed by the prosecutor in 2007 to respond to such situations. Members of that unit are “higher trained in advanced weaponry, equipped and taught rapid deployment tactics.” They supplement patrol response until a SWAT unit responds, he added.
“We are not a SWAT team; this is specifically for a rapid deployment mission. We will, and have responded to scenes and helped with security points and with supplemental patrols until SWAT got there,” Super added.
Taylor told the board there is a standard operating procedure, approved by the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association and himself to respond to shooter calls. It has been updated, and all county school superintendents are familiar with the procedures used, Taylor said.
Among recommendations to school board for safety upgrades, “panic” buttons in a school administrative office, as banks have for robbery situations to let police know immediately of a problem. In a shooter situation, although help may be summoned via 9-1-1 calling, often there is “a lot of panic” that may hinder such a call. Buttons, he noted, can be “done cheaply and were recommended to superintendents to tell their boards of education.”
Video surveillance of the school’s entry point is another safety matter. Taylor acknowledged that most county schools have such a monitor system to allow those entering to be seen and electronically allowed to enter the building.
“The next step is to harden the front door,” said Taylor. That means replacing wood with heavy metal doors, so that, even if they are shot, they might delay opening until police arrive. He also suggested to superintendents placement of metal doors on classrooms, at least in the first half dozen or so doors down the main hallway. Cost is a factor, Taylor acknowledged, which is why some school boards have balked at replacing cheaper wooden doors with metal ones. Also, he added, ensure that those classroom doors can be locked from the inside.
Many schools have a school resource officer who is a member of their local police department stationed in the school all or most of the day. Some schools utilize an officer who visits buildings throughout the day.