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February 6, 2007
Security Check for Barnegat School
Author: SHRUTI L. MATHUR Asbury Park Press
Article Text: By SHRUTI L. MATHUR, MANAHAWKIN BUREAU
People who are planning to visit Barnegat High School this week should bring identification.
Using a system similar to ones at some Manhattan office buildings, school district administrators will launch new security measures this week at the high school that scan photo IDs and check them against state and national lists such as the New Jersey Sex Offenders Database.
Bill Cox, who handles security for the district, said incidents such as the fatal shootings in October in Pennsylvania's Amish country can happen anywhere, including places like Barnegat.
"If you go over any of the recent incidents in schools, they all happened in little towns that are greatly like Barnegat schools," said Cox, a former New York City police detective. "We can't stop it, but we can throw up barriers to prevent it from happening."
The new system scans the driver's license or other photo ID of a person entering the building and uses software called STOPware that checks their name against a number of databases.
Visitors are then issued a printed name badge with their ID photo and a time stamp on the badge, which prevents it from being given to or used by anyone else.
"It helps our school a lot because we know who is coming in," said Stephanie Jasko, a 16-year-old junior at the high school. "It makes the school feel safer."
Feeling safer—but not being aware of safety measures—was a plus for 16-year-old Jacki Ferrara.
"If we don't notice it, and they're protecting us more, then that's good," said the high school junior.
Cox said the scans take only a few seconds.
"We want an open-door policy in our community, and we want to keep our students safe, but we don't want a maximum-security prison," he said.
Individuals who make frequent stops at the schools will be stored in a system, so they only have to show their ID once. They will be issued a new ID for each day they visit the school.
Cox said the old system of having visitors sign in does add a feeling of security, but doesn't have any immediate security benefits.
"There really is no check, it's just people telling their name," he said.
Besides checking sex offender lists, administrators and guidance counselors can manually add names to a watch list, such as in cases of custody issues.
Custodial watch lists are kept on file in the main office and referenced if someone comes to check out a student, but Cox said the new system adds more security awareness at the door.
The ID scan also helps prevent significant others posing as brothers or sisters and checking out a student, Cox said.
The check-in also creates a log of when people were in and out of the buildings, including contractors and other visitors. That way if there is an incident that is reported later, security personnel can check the computer log for an exact date and time, Cox said.
Students might eventually have to flash badges to enter schools, but first Cox wants to make certain administrators wear officials badges regularly, which will start in the fall.
"We have to lead by example," Cox said, adding different color badges would represent different schools.
Junior Alex Sullivan, 17, said he almost went to a school where everyone had to wear badges in the halls. He said it could be annoying but that he saw the benefit.
Security guard Vinnie D'Candia said he doesn't mind taking the time to scan, check and print ID badges.
"Anything to make the school safer is a plus," he said.
Cox said he wants the public to be aware of the new security measures for two reasons: so they will have their IDs ready when entering the school and so those who might want to do harm will think twice.
"If it's too hard to get into the school," Cox said, "I'm doing my job."
WHAT'S NEXT?
Barnegat school administrators are looking to implement the new STOPware system at all district schools if a pilot program works well at Barnegat High School, said Bill Cox, who handles security for the school system.
Each school would pay a one-time installation fee of between $2,000 and $2,500 for the new system, which includes a computer and scanner.
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