In the wake of the Connecticut tragedy, the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD)—as it says it has done since the Columbine shooting in 1999—will continue to conduct regular drills at schools in coordination with their safety officials undergoing tactical reviews.
“LBUSD school safety officials, for instance, learned a great deal from the Columbine shooting in Colorado,” said LBUSD spokesperson Chris Eftychiou. “There is no credible threat here related to the Connecticut shooting, but school safety staff have been in close touch with local law enforcement today and remain extra vigilant.”
In addition to the drills, which include procedural lockdown practices in the case of a potential intruder, each of LBUSD’s high schools are staffed with an armed police officer while middle schools have campus security officers. As for elementary schools, while there is not a direct safety officer on campus, staff members are trained to contact School Safety or police, in which LBUSD School Safety officers or the Long Beach Police Youth Services officers patrolling the area can quickly respond to. This is in addition the district’s work with Operation Safe Passage, which provides additional police officers in school-surrounding areas before and after the bell rings.
Last week’s horrifying shooting in Newtown, Connecticut has once again sparked a national debate over the concept of mental illness tied with gun culture, prompting media outlets and parents to share not only their personal tales of dealing with disturbed individuals, but also the importance of seeking help.
“Any student who needs to discuss their feelings about the incident may contact staff at school to receive counseling,” Eftychiou emphasized, in addition to pointing out that the most effective deterrent are the eyes and ears of everyone involved at the school—students, teachers, staff, parents, passersby—who report on odd or questionable behavior.
“We send our thoughts and prayers to all of the innocent people affected by this senseless act,” said LBUSD Superintendent Christopher Steinhauser. “Despite this shooting, however, school remains one of the safest places for children to be. We will continue our daily work with law enforcement, staff, parents and students to keep our schools safe, and we will carefully examine this tragic event to determine whether any adjustments should be made to our school safety plans.”