Where Physical and Cyber Security Meet
The line between physical and cyber security is blurred in a technology-driven world. The rise of physical security threats in the last decade combined with the education industry's vulnerability to ransomware attacks makes an all-encompassing security solution more crucial than ever. Using a cybersecurity partner that performs all tasks under one roof eases the stress of security gas emerging. See how NIC Partners simplifies security, because there's no room for error when it comes to student safety.
A Rising Physical Security Concern
The Torrance Unified School District’s (TUSD) Superintendent, George Mannon, felt a sense of urgency surrounding on-campus security in 2012. His concerns arose after reading about the Newton, Connecticut, school shooting in 2012 that left 20 first graders and six adults dead. A statistic from the Gun Violence Archive that noted 239 school shootings nationwide since 2012 furthered his fears.
Mannon wanted to prioritize safety above all else for the 911 teachers and 23,696 students across 31 TUSD campuses, so he took action. Mannon joined Police Chief Eve Irvine in expressing their concerns regarding recent tragedies and how $15 million could transform their campuses into safe ones. First, they just had to figure out how to get that money.
The Solution
The Torrance Unified School District passed several bond measures recently to improve the school district. However, bond Measure T was passed with the specific use of upgrading campus facilities with an emphasis on safety and disaster equipment. Measure T issued $144.3 million in bonds under a no-tax rate-increase financing plan, at legal interest rates, with citizen oversight and independent audits that would be used to pay for the $15 million in security measures.
With the bond on hand, TUSD partnered with NIC Partners to purchase and install security equipment. The process started with a School Safety Assessment, which consisted of NIC Partner safety experts walking through the schools to give an opinion on the strengths and weaknesses of the schools regarding security.
After completing the assessment, NIC Partners suggested that surveillance cameras be installed in the schools and integrate existing security measures to create a unified security system.
Actions Taken
NIC Partners took charge of the second largest install for physical security in Southern California, following the Bakersfield City School District installation. NIC Partners was responsible for installing more than 1,200 surveillance cameras, allowing district officials, principals, and office staff to remotely view up to 16 live feeds at any given time.
The Results
The installation of the numerous surveillance cameras had immediate positive utility as it led to the arrest of 5 non-TUSD students who were caught vandalizing various campuses. Furthermore, Katherine Schenkelberg, principal at Carr Elementary School, believes that the cameras act as a deterrent due to the absence of vandalism on their 8.6-acre campus since the installment a year and a half ago.
Our Solutions
On top of the added surveillance system, NIC Partners integrated existing security devices, such as door locks and "one-point access," into a unified security system, allowing TUSD to control both the locks and the "one-point access” remotely. The "one-point access" is a box attached to the first gate that requires unknown people to show photo identification to access the school office and another gate before entering a school campus. The addition of surveillance cameras allows remote surveillance of the "one-point access" to deter anyone not authorized on campus from entering.
Secure Your District
NIC Partners has experience providing physical and network security for students across southern California. Let the experts handle your technology so you can focus on the students.
Please contact us on our website if you have any questions!
Download Our Guide To a Modern K-12 Physical Security Solution
Modern physical security should be proactive because when it comes to securing K-12 students, there’s no room for error. Technology should be used as an asset to create physical safety among schools with cameras, access control and real-time notifications.
See more about how NIC Partners keeps students safe before problems arise with proactive security in our downloadable guide. Click the button below to get your free guide.
