Uniondale schools enhance security amid threats

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As schools across Long Island faced 80 threats throughout September, county officials, the Nassau County Police Department and school districts have continued to impress the priority of school safety.

The public is, as always, encouraged to report any suspicious activity to police — but officials say parents play an important role in speaking to their children about school safety and threats.   

“We take threats serious, and it’s a crime,” County Executive Bruce Blakeman said during a news conference at the David S. Mack Training and Intelligence Center on Oct. 1. “You have to talk to your children about using that kind of language. If they hear that kind of language in school, they have to report it immediately.”   

“Safety and security are paramount to the Uniondale School District,” Monique Darrisaw-Akil, Uniondale district superintendent, said in a statement to the Herald. “The Board of Education, central administration and the District security team are continually looking for ways to strengthen the District’s safety protocols, preparedness and technology.”

The district informed the Herald that they have been using the Rave Panic Button app, a tool that has been implemented in schools across Long Island, for “several years.” The app acts as a panic button that school staff can use in the event that there is an incident to bypass 911. Once activated, the app notifies police and they are dispatched to the school. 

“It dispatches the cops quicker to the schools,” Ryder said during the news conference.

The Uniondale district also has two assigned school resource officers from the Nassau County Police Department.

“The District has recently enhanced its safety measures with increased security cameras District-wide, improved exterior lighting, security presence in the District from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. each day and the installation of new scanners at Uniondale High School,” Akil said in a statement. “The District is also in the process of installing security vestibules in every school building.”

Nassau police work closely with schools to ensure students’ safety, according to Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. Police officers are strategically placed throughout Nassau to respond quickly to any possible threats made to any of the county’s 400 schools.

Schools are equipped with tools such as mantraps and bulletproof glass to slow a shooter down.

Seventy percent of school shootings are over in five minutes, with 40 percent of that statistic being over in two minutes, Ryder said. In Nassau County, he said response time to any call take roughly one to three minutes.

— additional reporting by Melissa Berman and Kelsie Radziski