Most schools have programs to prevent violence and help keep students safe. But safety precautions shouldn’t stop there. As a parent, you also can take specific actions to improve school safety.

To raise awareness of school safety and security issues, the National Crime Prevention Council, best known for its 25-year-old beloved icon, McGruff the Crime Dog, developed the Be Safe and Sound initiative in collaboration with National PTA. This effort, funded by the Allstate Foundation, Assa Abloy Group and the Security Industry Association, provides advice that parents, community members and educators can use to help make school a pleasant environment for all children.

The National Crime Prevention Council provides the following tips for parents.

* Listen and talk to your child regularly. Communicating with your child on a number of topics related to school, friends and his or her interests can give you valuable insight. Talk to your child about violence and how to solve problems.

* Set an example. Show your child that you can settle conflicts peacefully and nonviolently. Also, show your support for school policies and rules. If your child feels a rule is wrong, explain how the rule can increase school safety.

* Work with others. Join a parent, school or neighborhood association to discuss problems with violence in the community. Work together to find solutions and ways you can provide support to the schools in your community.

The National Crime Prevention Council provides tools for parents as part of its Be Safe and Sound initiative. The “Caregivers’ Guide to Safety and Security,” for example, outlines what parents can do to improve school safety and security. It contains an overview of school safety and security guidelines, an assessment checklist and advice and tips on advocating for change at their children’s schools.

Another resource, the “School Safety and Security Toolkit: A Guide for Parents, Schools, and Communities,” assists parents and community members in working with school administrators and policymakers to help make schools as safe as possible.

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To raise awareness of school safety and security issues, the National Crime Prevention Council – best known for its icon McGruff the Crime Dog – developed the “Be Safe and Sound” initiative. The initiative offers tools and tips on how schools can be made safer and more secure for students and staff.

There are several basic measures that schools can take to help ensure a secure learning environment for children. The National Crime Prevention Council offers the following guidelines:

* Visitors should be required to sign in or show proper identification.

* Unmonitored doors should be locked from the outside at all times to prevent unauthorized persons or items from entering the building unnoticed.

* Students entering and exiting the school property should be monitored.

* The receptionist should be equipped with a panic button for emergencies, a camera with a monitor at another location and a high-security lock on the front door that can be controlled.

* Access to identification badges, office keys and codes should be restricted and a process for reporting missing badges and keys should be in place.

* All doors should have high-security locks or electronic access control units. This applies especially to closets that have private information or hazardous materials, as well as outside doors and basements.

* Motion-sensitive and constant lights should be used outdoors.

* Dark places around the building should be illuminated and shrubs should be cut back so light can penetrate these areas.

* Stairwells and out-of-the-way corridors should be well-lighted.

* All doors should be solid. Sheet steel should cover both sides of the back and basement doors.

* Door frames and hinges should be strong enough to prevent them from being pried open.

The National Crime Prevention Council suggests that parents talk to their children’s principal and work with the school’s PTA to encourage the school to implement these measures. If they remain concerned, they can team up with other parents to insist that their local school board make building security one of its top priorities.

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