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Locked Doors

The most common response to school shootings is access control, such as locking exterior doors, due to the ease of implementation (Fox & DeLateur, 2014; Lassiter & Perry, 2009; Zhang et al., 2016, Jonson, 2017).

 

Statistics

  • In 2009, approximately 92% of public schools controlled access to school buildings and 46% of public schools controlled access to school grounds during school hours (Elliot, 2015).

  • In 2017, 78.8% of schools had a locked entrance or exit doors throughout the day (U.S. Department of Education, 2018).

 

Types and Roles of Locked Premises

Locked Exterior Doors

  • Provides building security from the outside.

  • Controls Entry

Locked Interior Doors

  • Controls noise and movement of people

  • Provides a barrier from danger.

Locks on Perimeter Boundaries

  • Controls boundaries around the school.

  • Example: Fences/gates

(National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2008)

 

Why Use Locks?

  • Prevents entry of dangerous people and items (National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2008), while allowing those with access entry (Jonson, 2017).

  • Protects individuals in the building from violence outside (like a shield against danger) (National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2008)

  • Useful during lockdown drills (National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, 2008)

  • Limits the number of access points, allows access only to those who should be on the campus, and provides an opportunity to conduct searches of suspicious items or persons (DeVos, Nielsen, & Azar 2018).

  • Deters individuals from initiating violent attacks, detects attacks earlier from a safe distance, and delays attackers from reaching vulnerable locations or densely populated areas. (DeVos, Nielsen, & Azar 2018).

 

Best Practices

  • The National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (2008) recommends:

    • The main building should have locked entry points, where entrance by students, staff, faculty, and visitors can only be gained through ID cards, coded entry panels, or approval by supervised staff (Jonson, 2017).

    • Schools should limit the number of side exterior doors, ensure that the majority of doors only have the ability to be opened from the inside, and have breakage resistant tempered glass in doors where glass is desired (Jonson, 2017).

  • The Presidential Commission Report (DeVos, Nielsen & Azar, 2018) recommends:

    • All schools should consider equipping exterior doors with an electronic access system that allows for scheduled lock and unlock times.

    • The use of access cards or video intercom door release systems may be used for student, teacher, or visitor movement.

    • All classrooms should have locks that allow the teacher to lock the classroom door from the inside. Locksets installed on classroom doors should have the ability to be opened from outside the classroom using a key, code, credential, or other method of deactivation. This enables teachers, administrators, and first responders to access the classroom, but not an attacker or intruder.

    • When deciding on a locking device school officials must be aware of, and comply with, fire codes, life safety codes, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

    • Training and continued reinforcement of their use is important to get the full benefits of locks. Entry control technologies such as locks can be (and have been) rendered useless by individuals not adhering to proper security processes, such as by propping open doors for convenience or other reasons.

  • National Association of State Fire Marshals recommends (Rock, 2018):

    • Doors should be locked from inside the classroom without opening the door to minimize exposure in dangerous situations

    • Emergency responders should have access from outside of the classroom

  • Preventative measures (i.e., locks) can break, so it is important to train school personnel to properly respond to emergencies (Jonson, 2017).


 

Resources

DeVos, B., Nielsen, K. M., & Azar, A. M. (2018). Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety. Presented

     to the President of the United States. US Department of Education.

Elliott, R. (2015). The real school safety debate: Why legislative responses should focus on schools and not on guns.

     Ariz. L. Rev., 57, 523.

Fox, J. A., & DeLateur, M. J. (2014). Mass shootings in America: Moving beyond Newtown. Homicide Studies, 18,

     125–145. doi:10.1177/1088767913510297

Jonson, C. L. (2017). Preventing school shootings: The effectiveness of safety measures. Victims & Offenders, 12(6),

     956-973.

Lassiter, W. L., & Perry, D. C. (2009). Preventing violence and crime in America’s schools: From put-downs to

     lock-downs. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. (2008). Door Locking Options in Schools. U.S. Department of

     Education, National Institute of Building Services.

Rock, A. (2018). Best Practices for Securing Classroom Doors from The Inside. School Safety.

Security InfoCenter. (2019). Legislation to Install Door Locks in Schools Passed in Illinois. Preventing Security                     Breaches.

U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2018). Indicators of School Crime and

     Safety: 2017 (NCES 2018-036), Indicator 20.

Zhang, A., Musu-Gillette, L., & Oudekerk, B. A. (2016). Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2015. Washington,

     DC: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, Office       of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

 

 

 

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