Lessons from Connecticut - School Security

I have read a lot of stories and theories about what happened in Newtown CT. Some powerfule people are suggesting changes to things that are suggesting things that we can't start and finish successfully. My training as a scientist however, despite the emotions I have, kept me calm as I gleaned over the evidence, the information and misinformation. 

This is what I know from my place of work. The first security is a safe building 
and second is safe room to work. If you have open doors like an office building, 
then you have a public space and "no walking beyond this point". If you have a 
public space, it is guarded by one or more people, and these guards all have 
tools to help them secure the space: taser or mace or handgun, zip ties or 
handcuffs, a stick, and a radio. Even if someone breaks into the first floor, 
they cannot gain access to the workers or the business inside because of the 
layered security. In short, you can't steal the treasure if you can't get in.

The information I have about the events from last Friday, from newspapers, 
electronic media, and also from my uncle's interview regarding the death of his 
daughter Lauren (http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/estrie/2012/12/18/005-
lauren-rousseau-drame-newtown-weedon-disraeli.shtml) are spattered with little 
bits and pieces of real evidence that we can analyze. 

First, the intruder broke into the school despite locked doors.  Doors and 
windows should be tougher for break in if all floors of the building must be 
used for the school. 

Second, the intruder was confronted by the principal and a psychologist. I think 
this is very a common mistake. My sister in law who is a principal in another state 
tells me stories of confronting agitated parents every now and then and it 
scares me a bit more this week than it did last week. All intruders should be 
met by police, or a constable with similar training, tools, and abilities. There 
should be a safe holding area for any unplanned visitor separate from the rest 
of the building and especially the children. 

Third, as part of layered security, teachers should all be able to lock the door 
to their class, and the door cannot be trivially unlocked by smashing a door 
window and turning the knob. Last Friday, the killer came across the first room and the door was locked, and walked past. The second room from the school entrance is where Lauren, my Uncle's daughter was teaching. She was a substitute teacher and because of her status she did not have the key to lock the door. The killer walked in and she and her 16 children died as a result. Would the story be different if all the doors were locked? What if he was unable to enter the hallway?

As a conclusion, I would like to offer condolences to all the victims families, 
and advice to some people who can really fix this. If children are as precious as claimed, stop the lip service, platitudes, and wild theories. Start by giving all teachers a key to lock their classroom door. Second you can secure the external perimeter of the facilities to prevent unauthorized entry and access. My place of work doesn't feel like a prison, so don't make schools feel like that either. Third, reinforce the ground floor doors and windows, and come up with a better design for layered security if you really care. That's the low hanging fruit that would make the next tragedy alot harder. They can't steal the treasure if they can't get in