Mayor Caroline Simmons, Stamford Superintendent Dr. Tamu Lucero, Police Chief Tim Shaw, Public Safety Director Lou DeRubeis, and other public safety officials have announced school security enhancements, prioritizing investments in school security infrastructure, communications, and safety trainings.
The plan includes:
- School Security Upgrades – The administration submitted to the Board of Finance an immediate funding request to allocate $400,000 of the City’s remaining American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds for school security upgrades, including card readers and key fobs.
- Safety Training – Building upon the active shooter training and the school security forum that were held earlier this year, Stamford Public Schools will conduct additional active shooter trainings in partnership with the Stamford Police Department. Training will also be coordinated with early childhood centers and private schools in Stamford.
- Infrastructure Upgrades – All Long-Term Facilities plans for Stamford Public Schools will incorporate student safety and security into future school designs.
- Emergency Communication Upgrades – The Department of Public Safety, in partnership with the City’s first responders and public safety officials, will continue to enhance the City’s emergency notification systems.
Stamford’s Board of Education recently added $4 million toward school security as part of their overall $8.13 million short-term capital budget.
“The safety and security of our students and teachers is my utmost priority,” said Mayor Caroline Simmons. “My administration is committed to continually enhancing public safety in our schools and throughout our City.”
“Communication is paramount in these types of critical incident situations,” said Lou DeRubeis, Director of Public Safety, Health, and Welfare. “We are constantly working to improve communications among our first responders and school administrators to ensure we are prepared and equipped to handle these situations.”
“After the hoax call, we conducted an internal after-action report to go over our response with our other public safety partners,” said Police Chief Tim Shaw. “We’ve been in constant contact with the Superintendent’s office and the Mayor’s team to see what we all can collaboratively do better moving forward.”
“These important enhancements will build upon the work that Stamford Public Schools and the Board of Education has done to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff” said Superintendent Dr. Lucero. “My team and I look forward to continued partnership with the Stamford Police Department and the Mayor’s office to assess and implement these procedures and make adjustments as needed.”