One School District’s Security Upgrade: Facial Recognition, Tracking IDs and AR-15s

[JacksinPA]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-sc...cognition-tracking-ids-and-ar-15s-11549202427

A town in Texas has a $6.3 million plan and a Secret Service agent at the helm

TEXAS CITY, Texas—The school district here uses a facial recognition system to scan for people not allowed on school grounds. IDs track the whereabouts of students and staff. Teachers have cellphone panic buttons to alert police and soon will have special locks on classroom doors that can be activated remotely. A newly expanded security team keeps 22 AR-15 rifles in their offices.

The district has spent $6.3 million in eight months on these and other security measures to keep students safe from potential shooters.
=============================================
I've been to Texas City in the past & this relatively affluent Gulf town never struck me as the kind of place that would require this kind of draconian school security. I think that most of this money might better be spent upgrading the quality of the education provided to the students.

 

[Mycroft]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-sc...cognition-tracking-ids-and-ar-15s-11549202427

A town in Texas has a $6.3 million plan and a Secret Service agent at the helm

TEXAS CITY, Texas—The school district here uses a facial recognition system to scan for people not allowed on school grounds. IDs track the whereabouts of students and staff. Teachers have cellphone panic buttons to alert police and soon will have special locks on classroom doors that can be activated remotely. A newly expanded security team keeps 22 AR-15 rifles in their offices.

The district has spent $6.3 million in eight months on these and other security measures to keep students safe from potential shooters.
=============================================
I've been to Texas City in the past & this relatively affluent Gulf town never struck me as the kind of place that would require this kind of draconian school security. I think that money might best be spent upgrading the quality of the education provided to the students.

That place in Florida was pretty affluent, too.

 

[JacksinPA]

Twenty-two AR-15 rifles? Sounds like overkill out of which some security consultants made a lot of $$$. At least, from what I read, they are not proposing to arm the teachers. But this is TX where things are supposed to be bigger than life.

 

[Kal'Stang]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-sc...cognition-tracking-ids-and-ar-15s-11549202427

A town in Texas has a $6.3 million plan and a Secret Service agent at the helm

TEXAS CITY, Texas—The school district here uses a facial recognition system to scan for people not allowed on school grounds. IDs track the whereabouts of students and staff. Teachers have cellphone panic buttons to alert police and soon will have special locks on classroom doors that can be activated remotely. A newly expanded security team keeps 22 AR-15 rifles in their offices.

The district has spent $6.3 million in eight months on these and other security measures to keep students safe from potential shooters.
=============================================
I've been to Texas City in the past & this relatively affluent Gulf town never struck me as the kind of place that would require this kind of draconian school security. I think that most of this money might better be spent upgrading the quality of the education provided to the students.

Pay-wall's suck.

Going by what you have posted the only part I might have objection to is the tracking of the whereabouts of students. I'd need more details to be sure though.

What's wrong with the rest that makes it so draconian?

 

[Utility Man]

 

[TheParser]

I've been to Texas City in the past & this relatively affluent Gulf town never struck me as the kind of place that would require this kind of draconian school security.

I do not know anything about Texas City, but I do know that "draconian school security" is badly needed in many large city schools in order to protect teachers and students from fellow students who constantly cause trouble. Outside bad actors are only a secondary concern in many cases.

Personally, I wish there were "draconian security" in every level of American society. There is no excuse for anyone to be the victim of physical violence. Unlike celebrities (and politicians) the ordinary person does not have a bodyguard.

 

[JacksinPA]

Pay-wall's suck.

Going by what you have posted the only part I might have objection to is the tracking of the whereabouts of students. I'd need more details to be sure though.

What's wrong with the rest that makes it so draconian?

Twenty-two AR-15s? That's enough firepower to equip an infantry patrol in the 'Nam. It looks like overkill to me. Two or five perhaps, but 22?

 

[Kal'Stang]

Twenty-two AR-15s? That's enough firepower to equip an infantry patrol in the 'Nam. It looks like overkill to me. Two or five perhaps, but 22?

Meh, amount of guns is irrelevant to me. Are the people that are going to use them skilled enough with them is my main concern.

In any case, how big is this school? That may explain the amount. It's also possible that there will be patrol shifts that require the additional guns so that while one shift is out patrolling the other can gear up.

I really don't know. Need more information.

 

[JacksinPA]

I do not know anything about Texas City, but I do know that "draconian school security" is badly needed in many large city schools in order to protect teachers and students from fellow students who constantly cause trouble. Outside bad actors are only a secondary concern in many cases.

Personally, I wish there were "draconian security" in every level of American society. There is no excuse for anyone to be the victim of physical violence. Unlike celebrities (and politicians) the ordinary person does not have a bodyguard.

You should move to Russia. You'd feel a lot safer & at home there.

 

[JacksinPA]

Meh, amount of guns is irrelevant to me. Are the people that are going to use them skilled enough with them is my main concern.

In any case, how big is this school? That may explain the amount. It's also possible that there will be patrol shifts that require the additional guns so that while one shift is out patrolling the other can gear up.

I really don't know. Need more information.

Most small to medium-sized cities don't have - or need - that kind of firepower unless they are preparing for an armed insurrection among the students. But I'll bet they have metal detectors for weeding out the kids who come to school 'heavy'.

 

[Kal'Stang]

Most small to medium-sized cities don't have - or need - that kind of firepower unless they are preparing for an armed insurrection among the students. But I'll bet they have metal detectors for weeding out the kids who come to school 'heavy'.

You're right, most schools don't need that kind of fire power. Most schools don't even need a gun period because the chances of a school shooting actually happening is actually very rare. But then again for most people fires in their homes are very rare also, yet they still often have fire extinguishers.

In any case...Does it really matter how many guns are at the school? As long as they're locked up and handled properly when being carried I see no problem with it. They could have 100 and I still wouldn't care as long as they're locked up and handled properly when being carried. I'm not afraid of good guys with guns. And I'm certainly not afraid of guns in and of themselves.

I don't know why this place decided on having 22 AR-15's. The school employed an ex-secret service agent to help them figure out what to get and how to go about things so I'd imagine that its for a reason. We just don't know it. Might seem like over kill to some from the outside, but the reasoning may be..well...reasonable. We don't know. Ask em.

 

[joko104]

22 AR15 in offices. Sure, the anti-gunners would want only one small pepper spray can to be shared between all schools and security officers.

It is fully intolerable that parents are required under threat of imprisonment for truancy to turn their children over to the government's care - and then the government does nothing but post "gun free zone" signs to advertise that the children are completely undefended.

Every school should have the same program and parents should demand it.

 

[Wayne Jr]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-sc...cognition-tracking-ids-and-ar-15s-11549202427

A town in Texas has a $6.3 million plan and a Secret Service agent at the helm

TEXAS CITY, Texas—The school district here uses a facial recognition system to scan for people not allowed on school grounds. IDs track the whereabouts of students and staff. Teachers have cellphone panic buttons to alert police and soon will have special locks on classroom doors that can be activated remotely. A newly expanded security team keeps 22 AR-15 rifles in their offices.

The district has spent $6.3 million in eight months on these and other security measures to keep students safe from potential shooters.
=============================================
I've been to Texas City in the past & this relatively affluent Gulf town never struck me as the kind of place that would require this kind of draconian school security. I think that most of this money might better be spent upgrading the quality of the education provided to the students.

Good to know the students will be safe while not being taught how to do their taxes, get a job, drive, or any other critical life skill.

 

[Wayne Jr]

You're right, most schools don't need that kind of fire power. Most schools don't even need a gun period because the chances of a school shooting actually happening is actually very rare. But then again for most people fires in their homes are very rare also, yet they still often have fire extinguishers.

In any case...Does it really matter how many guns are at the school? As long as they're locked up and handled properly when being carried I see no problem with it. They could have 100 and I still wouldn't care as long as they're locked up and handled properly when being carried. I'm not afraid of good guys with guns. And I'm certainly not afraid of guns in and of themselves.

I don't know why this place decided on having 22 AR-15's. The school employed an ex-secret service agent to help them figure out what to get and how to go about things so I'd imagine that its for a reason. We just don't know it. Might seem like overkill to some from the outside, but the reasoning may be..well...reasonable. We don't know. Ask em.

I'd bet a gentleman's dollar that there's 22 ARs only because there's 22 staff and each member is assigned their own rifle. Or maybe 20 staff and 2 spare rifles, or 40 staff but only 22 are certified with rifles, something like that. It could also be that the ARs have different configurations and calibers depending on the roll the person assigned to the rifle is designated to perform in an emergincy. I don't think they intend to have 22 rifles active at any one time.

 

[Hawkeye10]

Good to know the students will be safe while not being taught how to do their taxes, get a job, drive, or any other critical life skill.

Likewise the job of the parent now is to protect from bumps and bruises, not to teach.

I always said that I was raising adults not children.

You can imagine how that went.