Officers on campus now properly trained
By ANTONIA BOGDANOVICH Special to the Daily Press
Security officers at local schools haven’t had the proper training to deal with potentially dangerous situations — until now.
Last month, 21 employees of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were the first to complete a state mandated 24-hour training for campus security officers.
By July, all school security officers are required to take the training, under a new state law.
“I believe that school administrators all over need to take this class,” said Bryan Astrachan, the public safety instructor who taught the course. “One problem is you have supervisors who don’t quite understand the codes and sections that the officers (are hired to enforce).”
Before 1999, there were no requirements for school security at all, according to Astrachan.
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and first aid have been the only requirements to become a security officer for Santa Monica and Malibu public schools.
“What’s happened over the years is that their jobs have evolved into a quasi-law enforcement type — even though they don’t carry weapons,” Astrachan said.
Pam Davis, the Santa Monica Superior Court Juvenile Judge was a guest speaker for the course. She discussed juvenile court process, such as testifying in court, issuing citations for truancy, vandalism and fighting.
“Some of the officers were concerned about their role,” Davis said. “They felt caught between what the administration wants and the things they felt they could just handle really informally.”
Many of the security officers feel certain rules should be enforced like ditching school.
“I mean Santa Monica has a problem,” Davis said. “We don’t have a day-time loitering ordinance, it’s not illegal for kids to be off school grounds during school hours.
John Sliss, the school districts’ director of classified personnel, was instrumental in bringing the program to Santa Monica.
“I facilitated our campus security personnel and invited other districts to participate in the course,” he said, adding it is difficult to get the training. “I knew other districts were searching and having to get this done.”
The only school in the area offering the course is West Los Angeles Community College, although the actual classes were held at John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica.
The district employees, which range in age between 18-50 years old, are either security officers, or want to become officers. One student from Santa Monica High School enrolled.
The course trained the security officers their role and responsibilities, how to use their legal authority, how to conduct search and seizures, how detect weapons on campus, how to handle bio-terrorist threats, as well as how to understand the dynamics of gangs.
“We discuss searching students, due process, making sure they follow the law,” Astrachan said. “We also talk about mandatory reporting of child abuse.”
Judge Davis stressed the importance of the training at local schools because it addresses future generations.
“It’s important that everyone is on the same team,” she said. “And really we’re all in it to make sure kids are getting what they need and become successful citizens.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 18, 2002. Read the original PDF.