Manchester Schools Get A Safety Upgrade

The Manchester Township school district is about to get a little safer. 

The Asbury Park Press reports officials are planning $100,000 in security upgrades in the wake of the Newtown school shootings.

Superintendent David Trethaway tells the newspaper that following the shooting that left 20 students at the Sandy Hook Elementary School dead he asked Police Chief Brian Klimakowski to review security at district schools. “I think when events happen such as Sandy Hook, we all take another look at what we are doing in regards to safety and security,” he explained.

According to minutes of the June 19 school board meeting, Klimakowski says a two-prong approach is necessary: to solicit information about what could happen and to  ‘harden targets’ by using best practices for physical security, including using less glass in school buildings, limiting visitors, and finding ways ‘to slow the bad guy down.’

Communication is also important. “We have to establish communication lines between faculty and students. We need to encourage people to report things and then take them seriously and vet them," said Klimakowski.

HD cameras, ID card and reader systems will be installed by September.