How Safe Are Bridgewater-Raritan Students? School Security Plan Presented

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — School security continues to be of utmost importance. As the 2023-24 school year gets underway, a school security presentation was given recently to showcase what upgrades have been made.

Presented by Superintendent Robert Beers, District Coordinator of School Security Mike Voorhees and Assistant Coordinator of School Security Ted Lewis at the Sept. 26 Board of Education meeting, the team of campus monitors was showcased.

The team includes:

• Matthew Lynch - a retired Springfield Police Sgt. and former Special Class III Officer with Bridgewater
• Ed Avallon - a retired South River Police Sgt. and former Special Class III Officer with Bridgewater
• Gregory Brooks - retired Newark Police Detective and former Special Class III Officer with Bridgewater
• Ted Reese - retired Bernards Township Police Lt.
• William Federico - former Somerset County Prosecutor's Office Lt. and Readington Police Detective
• Mark Szymanski - retired Hillsborough Police Lt.
• Thomas Keeth - Green Brook Police
• Joseph Costello - retired New York State Police Lt.

"A lot of vast experience here. We talk on a regular basis. They are deployed to our schools every day," said Voorhees ,who also formerly worked with the Bernards Township Police.

Beers added that two years ago the district didn't have any additional school security.

"Our security consisted of two school resource officers and three class III officers. We have changed quite a bit in those past 2 years," said Beers.

Beers said the district's security footprint "has gone up exponentially." Where they have gone from five people to more than 15.

"We are headed in the right direction," said Beers.

Along with the new security teams, Voorhees noted that there is an advanced camera monitoring with 816 cameras throughout the district that are looked at on a daily basis.

Voorhees and his team also coordinate and work with Bridgewater Police Lt. Kevin Lamey on a daily basis to work together.

"It is critical to acknowledge how well both teams are working together and it started last year and continued this year. I want to thank Kevin Lamey... for really building those bridges and helping to create those relationships with our guys," said Beers.

Additionally, Beers said a major upgrade is expected to happen next summer using money allocated through the referendum to install "Man Traps" at the entrance of every school building.

Man traps are essentially a room built inside the school entrance where anyone who wishes to enter must provide identification and talk with security personnel before being allowed to get inside the school

Beers is hoping to place a bid for the man traps this fall for completion in the summer of 2024.

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