Darien School Board Receives Update On Safety & Security Program

DARIEN, CT — The Darien Board of Education received an update this week from Director of Security Leon Krolikowski, as the district is preparing to roll out its school safety and security program.

Darien Public Schools has had an eye on improving school security in recent years, but the decision to act came to the forefront following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, last spring.

Krolikoswki, the former New Canaan police chief, was hired before the new year to manage all campus monitors, six new School Security Officers (SSO) in the district's elementary schools, security infrastructure and emergency response efforts. He officially began working in the district earlier this month.

Krolikowski on Tuesday gave the board a 90-day outlook into how he's preparing to implement the district's safety and security plan.

"There's a lot of work to do. I'm 11 days in and it's been exceptional. Everybody's been really supportive and thoughtful," Krolikowski said, thanking the board for their support on the initiative.

"You're going to be a leader in school security and safety," he added. "Everybody is going to kind of model this district. There's no doubt about that. We will mitigate things in ways to protect our children better than any other community. I'm certain of that."

Over the next few months, Krolikowski said he'll be reviewing the district's protocols and policies, going through an extensive process to recruit, hire and train the SSOs along with the existing campus monitors. He'll also be reviewing the district's physical infrastructure to determine strengths and weaknesses.

Krolikowski said he hopes to have the SSOs hired and trained between January and the second week of April.

He discussed what the ideal school security officer would look like.

"We want them to have diverse experiences in law enforcement. We want to make sure they're excellent communicators, like to work with children, have great judgment, leadership experience — ideally some experience in a school environment — and make critical decisions under stress," Krolikowski said. "We can test to that, too, but if they have those kinds of experiences in their careers, that's a really important part to identify a great candidate."

The candidates will undergo an extensive vetting process. Once they're hired, they will then go through a "pretty comprehensive training package," Krolikowski said.

Uniforms for SSOs will resemble those of the School Resource Officers at Darien High School and Middlesex Middle School.

SSOs will be equipped with a radio to communicate directly with the Darien Police Department. Other equipment includes a firearm, ammunition sources, taser, radio, pepper spray, tourniquet and body camera.

Working on communications will also be a big component for Krolikowski. He hopes to evaluate alternative communication platforms, such as an application from Sandy Hook Promise, which allows staff members or students to report tips or suspicions that get vetted through the proper channels.

Board Chair David Dineen asked if Krolikowski has learned anything of note through calls or meetings recently in light of school shootings and mass shootings around the country.

"Throughout my career I kind of study these incidents," Krolikowski said. "I get newsletters and specifically targeted communication about campus safety and security, and I'm able to glean bits of information from it. Mostly, I don't see districts that have a comprehensive plan that we are going to have."

Board member Julie Best said communication with the community will be critical.

"I want to make sure we keep parents a piece of that... As SSOs get hired, as the program rolls out, and on an ongoing basis, I think that's really going to be key to bring the community along on this initiative," she said.

Dineen asked Krolikowski if in the future he could provide a demonstration of what parent communication will look like.

Krolikowski will give a presentation to the Board of Education in executive session in the fall of 2023 which will include a draft school security plan and a final report with recommendations on school safety protocols, policies and school infrastructure.

The presentation will also include an update on the SSO program and how it's been implemented.

Krolikowski's presentation came in the midst of budget preparations for the district. Growth in the FY24 budget reflects expenditures $129,180 for the director of security position, and $355,245 for the six SSOs.