Canadian Catholic News: Catholic schools locking doors, tightening security

REGINA, Canada (CCN/Prairie Messenger) - School invasions are a new reality, particularly in the United States and more recently in Central Canada. In Regina, St. Angela Merici elementary school is the latest of several schools, both Roman Catholic and public, that have initiated tighter security measures.

School board officials point out that nothing untoward has occurred in Regina schools to prompt the action but it was felt better to put something in place rather than wait for something to happen. Dan Folk, principal of St. Angela, said locking all doors except the main door has been the subject of discussion among his staff and among school administrators at their monthly meetings. "It's a precautionary measure," he said. "We talk about it at our meetings and the Regina Police Service has been in on our conversations." Folk said that, other than the main door, entrances to the school will not be accessible from outside but will remain open from the inside. Office staff are better able to monitor those entering and leaving the building through the main doors. As well, all staff will carry their keys in the event any of the doors has to be opened from the outside. "What we're doing is only part of what we do to protect the students in our building," said Folk. He would not describe the facility's other security measures but the procedures are in place, he said, and staff know what to do if something threatening occurs. The security procedures are not rehearsed or practiced, he said, because "it's an elementary school and we don't want to frighten the children." He was quick to add however, that the school does hold regular fire and tornado drills. St. Angela Merici is not the first school in Regina to introduce security procedures, but it is the latest. Security procedures are not system-wide but are left up to individual school principals. Several schools in both systems have instituted security procedures and more are expected to follow. Some of the schools that led the way are in high-crime areas of the city, but even they have not experienced threats or incidents similar to those that have occurred in the United States and in central Canada. St. Angela is in a relatively new, low-crime area in North West Regina. Parents were advised via e-mail that the new procedures were to be put place effective Oct. 30.

---

Republished by Catholic Online with permission of the Canadian Catholic News Service.

Among CCN governing members is the Western Catholic Reporter (http://www.wrc.ab.ca), serving Catholics in Alberta and published by the Archdiocese of Edmonton.