As school administrators and safety team leaders, it is our job to ensure that our future generations have the opportunity to learn, explore, and grow. Maria Montessori, an early advocate for comprehensive schooling, stated it best: “The goal of childhood education should be to activate the child’s own natural desire to learn.” Ms. Montessori’s dream is difficult when students are anxious or afraid.

At ASAP Security Services, we have the knowledge and extensive experience in furnishing schools security solutions that allow for secure spaces that promote learning. Our goal is the same as yours, helping young people develop the skills to make them successful and contributing members of society.

Are you curious about how we can collaborate to upgrade your Austin, TX campus? Continue reading below to discover more.

School is intended to be a place of universal learning, where students gain the practical and academic knowledge to grow and advance throughout their lives. Unfortunately, there are a plethora of issues and threats facing young people and staff, from vandalism, harassment, and violence.

Over 75% of US schools have reported a rise in aggressive behaviors, outright fighting, and bodily harm in recent years. Post-pandemic lockdowns, the number of incidents has grown precipitously.  While more comprehensive mental health outreach, zero-tolerance policies, and community collaboration work to resolve the root causes, more are currently needed.

A school surveillance system offers your team the ability to deter and diffuse situations. Are you looking to give your security team better tools for managing the security and safety of your schools? Continue reading to learn more.

In 2021, there have been 24 school shootings across the U.S., resulting in 34 people injured and six people killed. Four of these incidents were in Texas. 

On June 9, a stray bullet injured a student after people from two vehicles exchanged gunfire at North Forest High School in Houston, TX. In October, three shootings occurred. 

Another one occurred in Houston when a former student shot through a glass door to gain entry to YES Prep Southwest Secondary and shot the principal. In addition, at Timberview High School, in Arlington, two people were shot when a school fight broke out, and at East Chambers High School in Winnie, a student at a football game was shot and injured. 

These statistics serve as a reminder that protecting our students and staff in schools should be a top priority not only in Houston, Richmond, and throughout Texas but throughout the country. The truth is that school shootings are more common than school fires. Yet, every school has some form of fire detection device. In today's environment, more schools choose to utilize a gunshot detection system to help protect their students and staff.

Unfortunately, the number of mass shootings in the U.S. is increasing. In 2021, 232 mass shootings have already occurred. From 2013-2019, 2,100 mass shootings injured 9,000 people and killed over 2,400.

Schools are not immune—the U.S. experiences more school shootings than many other countries. California records the highest number of school shootings with an estimated 158 since 1970. Texas comes in second, the only other state with more than 100 school shootings, totaling 133. Mass shootings are defined as four or more people shot, whether injured or killed.

We share these statistics not to alarm you but to let you know that the unthinkable does happen, all too often. If there is a ray of good news, the advancement of technology has created the opportunity to be proactive in ways we would never have imagined just a decade ago. Let’s look at how we can protect our children, teachers, and staff through the use of gunshot detection systems in Houston, TX.