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Advanced technology in place for school security

KOLO-news

This article originally appeared on ABC-KOLO news now. To view the original article, click here.

Bridget Chavez
June 07, 2018

The Honors Academy of Literature
in Reno has been using an advanced technology system to help protect and keep its students safe. The school uses Raptor Technologies
system to instantly screen visitors for sex offender status and custody orders.

“Raptor really adds in that extra layer of security for us and confidence that anybody coming into the building won’t do harm to our students, and we thought that was important from day one,” Andrea Morency, executive director and principal, says.

The system scans the ID of the visitor and checks it against a database of registered sex offenders and custom alerts by the school or district. Once a visitor is cleared, a badge is printed with a photo, name, date and destination.

“We have less problems on the front end,” Morency says. “Just that level of security and having that as a deterrent limits student interaction with adults students shouldn’t be interacting with.”

One parent, Sarah Anderson, says this gives her peace of mind. She has to children who attend the academy.

“It’s really nice knowing that we’re not just signing in, that they have a picture of us and they have us in the computer prior to us even being allowed to put a badge on,” Anderson says.

Another layer of security for the school is its single-point-entry and video doorbell system that requires the front office to buzz visitors in.

The academy has been using Raptor since it opened in 2012. The startup cost was $1,100 and has an annual cost of $650.

“Implementation was extremely easy and I would encourage all families to put pressure on their schools to get a similar system,” Morency says. There’s just not a huge reason not to.”