Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the secretaries ever deny anyone entry. How can they possibly tell if the person is there for legitimate reasons or not. And of course like in Newtown CT, they can just shoot there way in..
They could in theory deny entry to someone who is known to be not allowed, such as a non-custodial parent that has been identified (this actually happened once, which is why I mentioned it). It also provides a record of who has gained entry, and if people know they are on camera, they're probably less likely to commit a crime or do some other dastardly deed. The office is also in full view of the front door, so they can see immediately and chase them down if someone comes in but neglects to come to the office to sign in and provide identification. The security measures are really just to cut down on unauthorized traffic, which in turn limits overall access, which limits the risk an negative incidents. Without the system, someone off the street could in theory walk into the school, grab a kid from the hallway, and be out without anyone noticing.
Of course, if someone is walking in with a machine gun intent on mowing down as many people as possible, such a system will have no effect, other than slowing down entry by a few seconds. That could be long enough for people to run, or for people in the office to grab the PA system and give warnings, which is what happened in Newtown.