National School Safety and Security Services

A student injured in the Antioch High School shooting has filed a lawsuit against the vendor of the school's -powered system, alleging the technology failed to identify the shooter's handgun before the attack.

The lawsuit raises important questions for and policymakers who are increasingly being told that emerging security technologies can prevent or respond faster to .

A few realities worth remembering:

• Security technology may make people feel safer, but that does not necessarily mean it will actually make them safer.
• No technology can guarantee prevention of violence.
• Marketing claims should never replace independent evaluation and due diligence.
• Effective and require people, processes, training, supervision, reporting systems, threat assessment, and technology working together.

As an for school security cases, I know ultimately both parties will have the opportunity to present their cases and/or go through the legal process before liability, if any, is determined.

Yet as schools continue investing millions of dollars in new security tools, this case may provide an important test of expectations, performance claims, and accountability.

Learn more in this story: https://zurl.co/QDuaF

Georgia is the latest state throwing money to pilot drones in schools. This is for drones operated by a private company based states away from Georgia's schools. The same is being done in Florida.

Drones may make for impressive demonstrations and attention-grabbing headlines, but the idea of using them to stop active shooters in schools raises more questions than answers.

A few of those questions include:

• Where is the evidence that drones can be reliably deployed in the chaotic, fast-moving reality of a in child-oriented educational facilities?

• Who operates them? Who trains them? What is the PreK-12-specific experience of those operating and training them?

• Who locally authorizes their use at the time when the chaos of an active incident occurs?

• How are they integrated with responding law enforcement? How is this planned, coordinated, and agreed upon in a MOU with police and schools ahead of time?

• What happens when technology fails, communications break down, or conditions don't match the sales pitch?

The use of drones as an response tool in K-12 schools remains unproven. should be cautious about investing in solutions that look effective in controlled demonstrations but lack meaningful real-world validation.

Any public safety deployment of drones at schools should remain the responsibility of properly trained and authorized local, state, or federal law enforcement agencies operating within established policies, legal frameworks, and coordinated response protocols.

Instead of chasing the latest shiny object, school leaders should focus on what decades of experience show works:

• Threat assessment
• Strong supervision
• Staff training
• Strong student support services
• Student reporting systems
• Emergency preparedness
• Coordination with first responders

In and , proven practices should come before promising gadgets. School leaders should demand evidence, not excitement.

I addressed some of these concerns in this recent story for Straight Arrow News:

Company wants to deploy drones to stop school shootings, but not everyone’s on board A company thinks drones with non-lethal weapons to apprehend suspects is one way to solve school shootings.

Insightful story tracking the money and political associations of one of the nation's largest companies. The company, which has gotten $27 million out of Georgia according to the story, was founded by the childhood friend of Georgia's governor.

Georgia mandated schools to have panic buttons similar to what other states have done with under Alyssa's law. This quickly followed a in Georgia.

In a very unusual move, state and local officials were quick at the shooting site to credit this company's product with allegedly saving lives at the school. Researcher David Riedman challenges the claims, pointing out that 911 calls came in faster than the panic buttons notifications.

I still hold that states should not mandate specific types of products. There is no justification for this particular mandate other than the opinions and lobbying by those with personal or special interests. Allow and their districts to choose and let the market to manage itself.

: Follow the money, follow the lobbying, follow the politics.

Daniel Dooley, Kemp's friend, thrives as his company makes millions in school contracts Centegix sells systems across the United States; Daniel Dooley's brother, Derek, is Kemp's pick for U.S. Senate.

As School Security Vendors Bundle the Services, Do They Bungle the Quality? Many and vendors start by doing one thing fairly well. Then comes the bundling.

Visitor management. Emergency alerts. Floor plan mapping. Tip reporting. Wellness tools. Threat assessment. Analytics. AI. More add-ons. Bigger contracts.

But are some bundled services becoming so overloaded that the quality of the core services is starting to slip?

In our work with nationwide, we are increasingly seeing concerns about complexity, usability, training burdens, and declining performance as vendors try to become “all-in-one” security ecosystems.

Learn more in my latest blog:As School Security Vendors Bundle the Services, Do They Bungle the Quality?
The Shift From Specialized School Safety Tools to “All-In-One” Platforms or Companies
https://zurl.co/5uEWu

Exciting news: Wendy Davison has joined our team as a consultant on future and emergency preparedness projects.

Wendy has more than three decades of experience as a school administrator, consultant, and international presenter specializing in behavioral , emergency preparedness, crisis response, reunification, CPTED, and behavior-based school safety systems.

Wendy's work with public, private, and charter schools brings a wealth of skills and knowledge to our team and our client !

Wendy's well grounded and pragmatic approach to school safety fits perfectly with our philosophy of "people over products" and focusing on the human factors that make schools safer.

Welcome aboard, Wendy! We value you and our partnership.

Learn more about Wendy at https://schoolsecurity.org/about-us/

The number one way find out about weapons, plots, and students planning to hurt themselves or others is when someone comes forward and tells a trusted adult who takes action.

Not weapons detectors.
Not panic buttons.
Not drones.

People.

In this Illinois case, a family member reportedly alerted authorities and helped stop a planned elementary before it happened.

“See something, say something” only works when schools also train adults how to do something:
• Take concerns seriously
• Follow-through quickly
• Investigate thoroughly
• Communicate effectively
• Intervene early

Trusted relationships, timely reporting, and decisive adult action remain among the most powerful and tools we have.

Learn more in the story: https://zurl.co/Ltx8P

Legislators continue pushing statewide mandates (Alyssa's Law) under emotionally charged arguments centered on and catastrophic emergencies.

But the vendors’ own usage data shows these systems are used overwhelmingly for day-to-day student behavior and routine operational incidents, not active threats.

Florida data reportedly showed:
44% student behavior
23% drills
13% testing
1% campus threats
1% suspicious activity

A recent vendor marketing post acknowledges primary use for:
70% student behavior
9% elopement
8% physical altercations

If want these systems for behavioral response and operational coordination, fine. Their choice.

But lawmakers should stop mandating them ---- and especially as emergency anti-shooting tools when the actual usage patterns show otherwise.

policy should be driven by transparent data and honest conversations, not fear-based lobbying and emotional political messaging.

The criminal case against former Virginia elementary school assistant principal Ebony Parker has been dismissed by a judge. Charges focused on reports of her ignoring teacher information about a student, who later shot his teacher, having a gun. In a separate civil case against Parker, a jury awarded the teacher about $10 million.

But this criminal case outcome should not be misread as a clean outcome for the profession.

• Multiple warnings were reportedly elevated by teachers
• A firearm concern involving a 6-year-old student was raised
• The response fell short of what most would consider basic, reasonable practice

The defense argued that teachers shared responsibility. That argument should give pause.

If it gains traction, are we opening the door to shifting responsibility for weapons concerns from administrators onto classroom teachers?

In practice, that is not how schools operate --- at least during my 40+ years of experience.

Customary and expected practice in education is clear:
• Teachers elevate weapons concerns and serious threats to administrators.
• Administrators own the responsibility to act, investigate, and follow protocols.

Courts may draw legal lines differently.

But in the real world of schools, blurred responsibility is dangerous.

This case is another reminder:
Accountability in school safety is increasingly being tested in courtrooms.
Clarity of roles, decisive action, and adherence to basic protocols are not optional.

What say you? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

(Learn more from the story: https://zurl.co/q46fa )

The former assistant of a Virginia elementary school took no action after multiple warnings from teachers that a 6-year-old student may have a firearm, according to prosecutors. The student subsequently shot his teacher. Today the former school administrators is in court facing criminal charges.

CNN summed it up: "The crux of the case revolves around two all-important questions: What did Parker know on January 6, 2023, and what did she do about it?"

As an in civil litigation cases, I know these types are often among the questions examined when file lawsuits after a school violence incident.

should take note of this case. As more incidents move from the schoolhouse to the courthouses, lessons for training school administrators and staff may emerge.

While attention is often skewed toward , day-to-day school safety protocols should not be lost by a tunnel vision focus on the more unlikely threats.

Learn more on the case here: https://zurl.co/fq3HK

It's a wrap for three outstanding days of advanced and specialized training, professional development, and networking at the International Association of Professional Security Consultants ( ) annual conference at the beautiful Gila River Resort in Chandler, Arizona.

Grateful for the opportunity to learn from and connect with some of the nation’s most experienced, highly credentialed, and respected independent and professionals. The depth of knowledge, professionalism, and commitment to ethical, evidence-informed practice was truly impressive.

The sessions on forensic consulting, expert witness preparation, AI and security applications, video surveillance research, risk assessment, and security leadership provided valuable insights that will continue to strengthen my work supporting , attorneys, and organizations nationwide.

Even after 40+ years as a national practitioner, consultant, and expert witness, I strongly believe the best professionals never stop learning, growing, and sharpening their craft.

Thank you to the IAPSC leadership, presenters, and colleagues for an outstanding experience and meaningful professional connections. I am proud to be a member of IAPSC's Board and Conference Committee, and look forward to another great experience in 2027!