PSS to enforce unified security protocols in school campuses

The Public School System will soon enforce a uniform security protocol in all its 19 campuses to minimize, if not prevent, burglaries and break-ins, according to Education Commissioner Rita A. Sablan yesterday.

Sablan made this decision in consultation with her leadership team and school principals who were all asked how they want to better safeguard their campuses and students.

Garapan Elementary School fell victim to burglars twice last week, resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars worth of school equipment and properties.

Sablan said the system cannot tolerate further incidents like these, particularly since public schools are working so hard to provide these equipment and technologies to students.

Sablan declined to elaborate on the new security measures, saying a final plan is being worked out but hinted that PSS will revisit all standard security operating procedures.

“We are putting together a standard operating procedure that would set our expectations from security companies because we do know that there’s always a risk. We just cannot tolerate any kind of mishap in our school campuses because it’s so difficult now to replace a computer, a printer and even paint our schools,” she told Saipan Tribune.

Sablan acknowledged that they don’t have many security aides in school but she believes that security risks can be averted through “effective, efficient, and high standard safeguard procedures.”

According to PSS associate commissioner for administration Glenn Muña, security services in each school are usually decided by their respective principal, based on the school’s population. This means that individual schools have separate contracting agreements with security companies that they choose. Funding for this purpose is incorporated in the per-school operational budget from the local government, which Muña described as “very limited.”

Public schools have been a favorite target of burglars on island, with computers and laptops proving to be irresistible magnets for these crimes.

Among these incidents was in the summer of 2009 when three public schools-San Vicente Elementary School, Marianas High School, and Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School-were burglarized, losing thousands of dollars worth of computers.

In 2008, Dandan and Tanapag elementary schools also lost some computers, laptops, and aircon to culprits.

In November 2008, MHS security aide Efren Ballesteros was bludgeoned to death by burglars inside the campus.

In 2005, Koblerville Elementary School also fell victim to burglars. And who can forget the break-in at Kagman High School where its Environmental Science and Oceanography room was deliberately set on fire, losing over $50,000 worth of computers. William S. Reyes Elementary, Koblerville Elementary, and Dandan Elementary also were victims of burglaries in 2002.