GEORGETOWN, Del. - Sussex Technical High School has increased their school security team for the 2023-2024 school year. The school says they made the decision to bring more security personnel on campus due to the recent school shootings in the country. The staff now consists of three constables, one SRO officer, and two school climate officers.
Glenn Dixon, who is the Coordinator of Safety for Sussex Tech, and is also a constable, explained to CoastTV, "combined we have 110 years of law enforcement experience on board, as well as 20 years of constable experience, and also 20 more years of department of corrections experience."
The school security team believes school safety starts with everyone, therefore they work with teachers and students about how to react in dangerous situations. Regular safety drills are conducted throughout the year in order to make everyone familiar with safety protocols. After drills, Constable Dixon says the team meets with staff and students to get recommendations from them on how the team can get better.
Each of the security team members works different shifts throughout the day. During those shifts they check security cameras, monitor entrances, and walk the school campus.
The challenging part about school security is it can be costly. School security is funded by taxpayers, and the district declined to say how much it costs them.
While some could argue that six security staff members seems like a lot, Sussex Tech Principal, John Baucher believes you can never be too safe.
"I don't think you can put a monetary value on school safety and ultimately its about our safety team being able to provide a great environment, and not just because they are here for the worst case scenario, they're also here for a regular basis to help our students get through life," said Principal Baucher.
The security team does not go home when the final school bell rings. They also patrol during adult night school and extracurricular activities.