A school safety officer maintains a secure environment for students, teachers, and staff, conducting foot patrols and monitoring for intruders, prohibited activities, and safety hazards. They must have good communication skills and may carry security tools. A high school diploma is required, and additional training is often necessary.
A school safety officer is the person responsible for maintaining a safe environment for students, teachers and other school personnel. He is typically responsible for ensuring the security of the school building, grounds, facilities and the immediate surrounding area of school property. Your position may be in a large or small educational facility.
A person with this job will often conduct foot patrols on school premises throughout the day. On larger campuses, he may use a motor vehicle or bicycle to carry out his inspection. He normally wears a uniform to increase his visibility and may be allowed to carry security tools such as pepper spray and handcuffs.
If a school safety officer notices a student engaging in a prohibited activity, he or she is normally required to reprimand the offender and report the action to the school principal or deputy principal. This crime often involves bringing prohibited items onto campus, such as weapons or drugs. His scope of authority normally allows him to search lockers, backpacks, and other bags carried by students. He can also intervene in fights that seem to be moving from verbal exchanges to physical confrontations.
Keeping an eye out for strangers on campus is also an important part of the security officer’s job. He usually knows the school’s population and can easily spot what might be an intruder. This surveillance can be done in person or by video monitor. If the person he approaches with does not have written permission to be there or an escort to accompany him, he is usually expected to ask them to leave and call the authorities if they refuse. This generally applies to people inside the school building as well as around the outside of the building.
The overall physical security of the building and grounds is also typically the responsibility of the school security officer. He is usually required to check fire alarms and extinguishers to ensure they are fully operational and have current inspection certifications. If any safety hazards are noted, such as broken glass or spillage of hazardous materials, he is expected to rectify the situation.
It is important to have good communication skills with students, teachers, and administrators to succeed as a school safety officer. He is often called on to be a mediator, and the trust of everyone involved usually helps him resolve conflicts quickly and easily. His written communication skills must be clear as he is regularly asked to submit reports and summaries to districts and school boards.
This position usually requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Most school security officers must first serve one year as an assistant to an experienced school security officer before working independently. Additional training in triage and application of first aid and safety is usually required for this job.
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