Carroll County (Map, News) - Carroll schools should consider door buzzers, cameras and uniforms to heighten security, a safety committee recommended.

“We want to do anything we can to put one more hurdle that people would have to cross in order to do evil,” said Don Pyles, middle schools director and a member of the 16-person committee Superintendent Charles Ecker formed after last fall’s Pennsylvania Amish school shooting.

Some of the suggestions are controversial, such as the door-buzzer system, school Security Coordinator Larry Faries said, because it locks down schools, which have traditionally been designed as open to the public.

Administrators also fear that once installed, school staff might fall into the habit of buzzing everyone inside, creating a false of security, said Stephen Guthrie, assistant superintendent of administration.

Carrolltowne Elementary School in Sykesville has embarked on a three-month pilot buzzer system and already hit snags when it hindered the operation of the blue buttons used for access by disabled students.

“To implement a systemwide, one-size-fits-all buzzering system probably wouldn’t work,” Guthrie said.

Cameras, which are already installed at some schools, act as deterrents and aid investigations, said Faries, a former commander of the Westminster state police barracks.

Uniforms would help teachers recognize non-students, make it difficult for students to smuggle in weapons and decrease bullying, committee members said.

The school board vetted the recommendations at a recent work session and will consider them further once Faries completes security evaluations of each of the county’s 42 schools.

Other suggestions, such as identification cards for all employees, were immediately implemented.

2006-07 school year incidents in Carroll County

Calls for police service: 136

Drugs: 27

Assaults: 23

Thefts: 20

Trespassing: 18

Vandalism: 13

Weapons: 12

False alarms/bomb threats: 6

Arson: 3

Breaking and entering: 3

Source: School incident reports

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com

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