Safety After San Bernardino

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levi Amit

Representatives of Jewish schools and organization in Crown Heights met with police and counter-terrorism experts on Tuesday to discuss potential terror scenarios and measures in place to prevent them.

The special security meeting at the Jewish Children’s Museum was called in response to incidents of violence against Jews around the world, especially the stabbings in Jerusalem.

It gained urgency after the shooting rampages in Paris and San Bernardino, California.

At the meeting, administrators outlined some of the security measures that they have in place and are continuing to implement with the help of the NYPD and Israeli counter-terror experts. They discussed ways of continually upgrading these procedures to be ready for any scenario.

NYPD representatives committed to beef up security around institutions and to reexamine their response protocol as it relates to schools. But NYPD Inspector George Fitzgibbon, Commanding Officer of the 71st precinct, emphasized that parents also play a critical role in preventing an attack on schools.

Brooklyn South Counter-Terrorism Inspector Philip Van Gostein noted that the meeting was not about any specific credible threats, “but we continually live under that one constant threat of terror and must always be at our top vigilance.”

Sources who helped organize the meeting urged COLlive readers to take an active interest in the security of their children. Waiting for the bus, walking to school or during recess, “teach your kids that if they see something, they’ve got to say something, and parents need to do the same.”

Administrators were urged to make security a regular topic at PTA meetings and parent forums. In addition to keeping parents informed, this will help minimize the amount of information available online and in print.

Several schools expressed interest in working with a parent security liaison to communicate changing safety procedures as well as information in case of a lockdown, evacuation or early dismissal.

Parents were urged to partner with schools to continually improve security measures. “If you notice something in the building or school protocol that can be done safer, suggest a safer alternative,” a participant said.

Fitzgibbon said schools should be holding active shooter drills as often as fire drills. Just as most schools will never experience a serious fire, “I hope that [an active shooter scenario] is never going to happen here,” he said. “With us working together we can help ensure that it doesn’t.”