Medford To Make School Security Improvements

MEDFORD, MA – The Medford public school system has been implementing additional security measures in its buildings this summer and will continue to make improvements based on the results of a series of assessments spearheaded by Safe Havens International. The district partnered with the non-profit, which focuses on helping schools improve crisis preparedness and safety, to analyze safety measures across its schools.

During the week of May 21, Safe Havens began conducting physical assessments of the schools, which included monitoring day-to-day activities and analyzing everything from enter/exit strategies to safekeeping of science materials.

The next assessment took place the week of June 18, where Safe Havens reviewed the physical structure of each building. It identified the strengths and weaknesses of the building, such as positioning of cameras, door locations and the need for additional surveillance.

The final step consisted of interviews with central administration, the Medford police and fire departments and other personnel in the district.

"We strongly believe that the Medford Public Schools are safe across the district, but even good safety measures can be improved," Mayor Stephanie M. Burke said in a statement. "Upgrades have been made to locks and cameras district wide and we will continue to make necessary improvements according to the assessment results to ensure the safety of our students, teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers."

The district anticipates receiving the results of the assessment in the coming weeks.

"I look forward to learning the results of the assessment and working collaboratively with the Medford Police Department to develop and implement new policies and procedures that ensure our schools are the safest place possible for our community," Superintendent Marice Edouard-Vincent said in a statement.

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