Samo tightens security measures in response to national shootings

Anika NarayananStaff WriterIn the weeks following the Newtown, Connecticut massacre, which claimed the lives of 20 students and 8 faculty members at Sandy Hook Elementary School, schools across the country have been reevaluating and heightening their security and safety procedures. According to Principal Laurel Fretz, Samo is no exception.On Dec. 14, 2012, 20 year old Adam Lanza shot his mother in their family home and then proceeded to open fire on the Sandy Hook Elementary School campus, attacking the school’s principal and psychologist before turning his attack to kindergarten and first grade class rooms. According to Connecticut governor Danell Malloy, the school’s principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, had updated the school’s security system earlier that year to include a gate.Within hours of the shooting, Principal Laurel Fretz and Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) Superintendent Sandra Lyon issued letters and phone messages to all SMMUSD families. Their letters ensured parents about the district’s intensive security systems and advanced emergency action plans.“Having regular drills is one of the best things we can do to ensure that staff and students can respond quickly when they need to,” Lyon said in an interview with “The Santa Monica Daily Press.”According to Lyon, not only are there security officials tracking the flow of people through SMMUSD campuses, but the schools also practice an assortment of emergency drills every six months at Samo.“Our lockdown procedures are consistent with the best professional practices and our staff and faculty all know exactly what to do in case of an emergency,” Fretz said. “Samo also has a communication system and procedures in place so parents can be informed as quickly as possible in the event of an incident.”According to Fretz, there has not been as much of a re-creation of the security system, as there has been a re-strengthening.Officials on campus are now more aware of visitors, and the process of coming onto campus is better organized. Allowing only the 7th and Michigan gate to be open during school hours also reduces the chance of an intruder.“Visitors must have an appointment, sign in, and be announced to the House Office they are going to. In addition, they are informed they cannot ‘roam’ the campus, they must go to their appointment and return directly to the gate [they entered],” Fretz said, “Now, if we see anyone in hallways or outside who is not an employee, we can immediately check with the gate and see if they signed in.”Samo also holds a partnership with the Santa Monica Police Department, who not only have trained officials stationed on campus, but also provide the campus with gun safety and awareness drills. This allows the department and Samo to have a more cohesive protection system.The heightened security system and general knowledge about school safety at Samo and throughout Santa Monica is what will keep Samo safe, according to Fretz.“It takes a whole community to keep our schools safe,” Fretz said. “I encourage anyone that sees anything out of the ordinary to let someone know immediately. We have a plan in place. I have confidence in it and our staff to keep students safe.”anarayanan@thesamohi.com