Keeping Intruders out of Schools
KOKI-23 Jenks, OK
09/17/07
 (JENKS,
Okla.) September 17 - Today security is top of mind at one Green Country
school district.
At least one LobbyGuard machine has been at every Jenks Public School
campus since last year.
Already, school officials say the system has helped identify at least
three people using bogus names. It's also found six registered sex
offenders trying to get inside a school. Five turned out to be parents.
All you need is your driver's license and then LobbyGuard takes your
picture. You scan your license and you're ready to go. But if for some
reason your name flags the system, Lobby Guard will let security know.
It's Cheri Coons job to know what's going on at the Alternative Center.
But now Cheri, who is also a parent of a Jenks student, has some extra
help thanks to the machine. “It's a safeguard, it's a check-in system,
it’s something we can refer back to, to see who's been in our building,
who's been out of our building.”
You see, if someone tries to check-in who is wanted for a crime, or is a
sex offender, Cheri will know and within two minutes campus police are
on the way. “A benefit of LobbyGuard is now we know and can identify
individuals that shouldn't even be on school property and intervene.”
And that's something parents like Sandra Scott, who had to use
LobbyGuard, like to hear. “It's very easy. I think it's a good idea.
It's real easy to do, so I don't have any complaints.”
And Cheri and administrators hope by using LobbyGuard, things will stay
that way both at the Alternative Center and every other school in the
district.
School officials say they are talking about putting extra lobby guards
at schools that have lots of foot traffic. But right now there's no
timetable on when that may happen.
You can buy a 'key tag' at the main office in any Jenks school for
$5.00. It makes the check-in process easier and faster for people like
parents or volunteers.
The Skiatook School District also started using LobbyGuard this year.
LobbyGuard representatives say the system is being tested right now in
some Owasso schools.
Union Schools will start a pilot program with a similar system next
month.
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