I'm all about beefing up security in schools & I think it's great that all brick schools you need to ring a buzzer to get in, but if brick cops are going to hang out in the parking lot of Brick High, can't they keep the dam kids from smoking in the parking lot?! Since that is against the law to smoke on school grounds?!!!

The Brick schools have a lot of beefing up to do. My kids attend the school system. Yes you have to be buzzed in. But everyone is buzzed in. How does that stop a lunatic from getting in? It doesn't! Every single school should have a secure lobby as a check point before entering the main area of the school. But I know, it's going to cost $$$.

If someone wanted to get in that badly, all the security and locks in the world aren't going to keep them out. As for the buzzers, no one even asks who you are or what you are there for--you are buzzed in and told to go right to the office. Useless.

I agree..they buzz everyone in..your not greeted at the door for an I.D. check. You walk all the way into the school and are expected to enter the office..sign in and inconvenience the staff to get your child or drop off an item perhaps your childs book or lunch. Its always bothered me that no one greets you at the door. I know it will cost $ but what about having an officer at the door? The tragedy that occured in CT is so painful..God rest their souls

Lifelongbrickresident you know what your right. Theysay that the CT shooter blew out a window to get in..scary. But I. Think haveing an officer patroling might detour someone.... I don't know..I guess we will never have all the answers. I pray for thw safety of all children in our beloved town and beyond.

I think another huge security measure that could be used everywhere is if someone is a responsible gun owner, properly store and lock up the guns so no one else can get to them. That's really not security, more like common sense. This is especially true if someone had the means of having a gun vault.

How about getting some parents involved that are available during the day. What's wrong with having 2 responsible adults volunteer for desk duty at each school's main entrance. Why do we always throw money at a situation that just needs some attention. Instead of being a bunch of keyboard canaries, how about organizing teams of adults for at the very least having a presence at the door.

Why plainclothes police? Why not in uniform? The best deterrent would be to see that there is a police presence, why hide them? Otherwise if someone does get in and they have a gun, no one reacts assuming its a plainclothes officer. And let's not go overboard, the kids were a bit uncomfortable going to school Monday seeing quite a few cop cars in the parking lots, there has to be a balance...we want them to feel safe but not like they are in jail.

Put trained armed security in the schools,it will at the very least limit the damage and at best eliminate the threat.The problem is we cannot regulate behavior; there is evil and mentally ill people out there thats reality.

I think this whole situation is so very very sad. One the loss of 20 children and 6 adults and two that we have to even beef up security in schools today. Unfortunately it is the world we live in today. I have a child in the brick schools and on our first day we were just buzzed in. No one knew us. No one had ever seen us before yet we were let right in. That is very scary. Yes you are expected to go straight to the office which is at least 20' or more from the entrance. Anyone could just continue to walk right by and who would really stop them. Its so sad to say but yes there should be check in area you walk into first before you even get into the school itself. One where you must show id and some kind of proof of why you are actually there & then it should be okayed by the office to let you in or not. Meaning you should have to call first to state the reason you are coming to school and if you haven't then they should not allow you in. Doesnt matter who you are.

The sad part us that you could have an armed guard in each school and this still could happen. Someone determined to do something like this will not be deterred by that. As far as the buzzers go, they are useless ....this guy didn't asked to be buzzed in, he shot out a window. Doors to classrooms should be locked at all times. There should be an emergency button in each classroom and throughout the halls that directly alerts police of a situation. I taught in brick for years and can tell you that side doors were left propped open during recess and gym outings, and people would open up the door for someone knocking and would not follow that person to ensure they went directly to the office. Not at all to say that staff doesn't take safety seriously, but people do become complacent. Staff needs to be trained on what to do in different scenarios, not just when they hear a firedrill bell go off....because there are many other situations that can occur and you can't rely on all teachers to be able to be as quick thinking and reactive as many seemed to be in CT. Training must be ongoing.

Tuna Stick...what a brilliant idea !!! Put two people there and they will be sitting targets !!! I am sure two Moms or Dads could hold off a deranged killer...and your so right, why throw any money towards keeping our children safe !!!! Call the BD of ED. I am sure school security didn't think of that !!!!!

If you have someond bent on suicide for their end game, there will be casulaties no matter who or what is there. But an trained,armed administrator would limit the carnage.

...and apparently with the classroom doors that automatically lock when shut, the kids are told to leave them open if going to the bathroom so that no one, teacher or student, has to be inconvenienced to let that student back in. Security will only work if the staff enforces it.

With my profession, I am in and out of schools often. When you ring the buzzer, they ask who you are and let you right in...always at every school! Parents need to be given a code to be presented at the entrance...if it is verified, they may proceed in and then to be verfied again with a valid ID. If you are an outside vendor, you must be met at the door and verified. There are electric door alarms that can be triggered immediately if any type of "Seal" is broken. These alarms can also be dis armed from inside if verified to be safe to disarm. The alarm signal can be sent right to the police. This still does not stop someone from getting in, but time is of the essance. Teachers can also be taught some self defense tactics that can be utilized such as a baton or bat. They may be able to thwart an entry into a classroom. All we can do is put in as many safe guards as possible and pray our kids are safe each day. It is sad to see that the Superintendant knew of weak points at door way entrances though.

and in BMHS last year remember when someone posted here that the delivery guy was let in during a lockdown drill cuz he "couldn't wait"..

We need security inside the schools, not so much outside. Throw these bad kids out period. Let them be on their own if they refuse to behave. Then worry about the outside threats. The real threat is the kid who BELONGS there.

William, do you mean this kid Adam? Of all the reports I have read, they said he was quiet and very shy, not violent . Kids are not throw aways. I really feel you post your thoughts before you actually think about what you say. The real threat is GUNS!!!!!

William, the other threat is people who think like you !! Happy Holidays

Sorry, but the real threat is NOT guns. Sure, high powered assault weapons should not be owned by private citizens....but regardless, a gun does not kill, a person does. This guy didn't just wake up one day and say to himself, hmmm my mom has a gun so I will go kill people. If he had no access to guns, maybe he would have made a bomb, poured gasoline and set a fire, or mowed people down with his car. Some guy in China just slashed school.children with a knife last week. It is not the weapon, it is the sick mind that kills. The mental health field does not do enough once a person is determined to have issues....this guy was assigned his own psychologist when he was in school because they knew he was 'off'. So, even if he didn't have a violent past....his issues manifested themselves into a deranged mindset which led to this. More needs to be done proactively once a child is determined to have mental issues. Just like we profile adults to thwart terrorism, we must profile kids to thwart these types of incidents

Exactley my point, these weapons should not be owned by private citizens, but they are sold everyday just in that manner. The rifle he used is one of the most popular assault weapon sold. Gun sales went through the roof yesterday. They said this boy was odd, but not dangerous. His tech teacher was watching out for him for his own good, thinking he would be the one bullied.In this case, and in so many others...it was the weapon of choice they made him capable of killing so many. I agree the mental health field has failed so many miserably.

Well, they did say that adults were concerned he would be bullied, but the news also reported that he would flip out in school and his mom would have to come and get him. Idk, I taught 1st grade for years, and I had a child here and there who had mental or emotional issues and I saw firsthand how lacking the interventions are. Someone exhibiting sociopathic behaviors needs more than to just meet with a counselor once or twice a week.

Tuna Stick, you are so smart and funny...I really enjoy reading your intelligent thoughts. Thank God you have a computer, you have made me smarter today. I never thought of putting two background checked volunteers to sit in a school and protect them from harm. My thought was maybe a uniformed guard, how dumb was I?

Here's my idea..cameras at all the entrances and retired police officers watching and patroling maybe 2 per. School..Also radios to supervisors in the schools to react to any problem . Everyone trained to react..

Brick living, best idea I heard so far.

It's all about priorities when it comes to where taxpayer dollars go. Maybe now school safety will be more important than other things the money usually goes toward.

Approximately 2 weeks ago, an adult male chased a couple of kids into Brick Memorial HS, and got far enough into the HS to stand in an interior stairwell while the kids were in the hall. No alarm was sounded, nothing was done except my daughter noticed police in the parking lot the next day. Apparently it was someone from Jersey Farms that was chasing kids that stole from the store. While I understand his anger, there is no way he should have gained access into the school like that. Also, kids leave and return frequently to the school and when I ask my daughter how students get back in, she said there are always dooors that are open. So the front door may be locked, but overall the security is terrible.