Page 8 - Campus Security Today, November/December 2024

C O V E R S T O R Y
PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL SECURES
BUILDING WITH ROLLING SECURITY GRILLE
A U T H O R : H E AT H E R B E N D E R I S D I R E C T O R I M A G E S : O F C O M M E R C I A L C O U R T E S Y O F P R O D U C T M A R K E T I N G AT C L O P AY .
C L O P AY
S
t. Jude School in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, is a private
Catholic elementary school that serves students from
Pre-K through grade 8.
Recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the
U.S. Department of Education, St. Jude offers diverse
educational programs designed to foster a nurturing and
challenging learning environment, and extracurricular activities
like sports are an integral part of promoting teamwork, discipline,
and physical fitness.
Host to numerous sporting events and after-school activities
like basketball games, St. Jude School is routinely tasked with
keeping its visitors within a designated area inside the school
to ensure the rest of the building remains secure and assets are
protected. Until recently, before games or other events, school staff
were prompted to turn a table on its side in front of a corridor to
prevent people from entering other parts of the building. This was
far from being an effective security measure.
Aside from providing a visual cue to visitors that the area
beyond the table was off limits, the tipped-over table offered St.
Jude School virtually nothing in terms of security, as anyone could
simply jump over the makeshift barrier. Deciding it was time for a
more robust solution to control visitor traffic and properly secure
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