One thing is sure:
We live in a volatile and uncertain world.

Parents worry about sending their children to school and wondering if they will receive a phone call to report to a predetermined location. Once there, they will find out whether they will be picking up their child(ren) or not because there has been another school shooting.

School shootings in the United States hit a record high in 2021, with over 35% of those incidents occurring at a school-sponsored sporting event. However, when researching the number of incidents in 2021, the numbers vary widely due to the research entity's definition to define school shootings.

For example, one organization might track every time a firearm discharges a live round inside or into a school building or on a school campus or grounds, as documented by the press.

In contrast, another organization would track a gun being brandished, fired, or when a bullet hits school property for any reason at any time.

Reported numbers vary from 222 school shootings in 2021 to at least 149 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2021. There have been reports that 2021 represents the highest number of incidents in almost two decades. Regardless, it is simply too many.

There are many supporting factors that researchers have contributed to this increase in violence, namely the rise in gun sales across the United States, the soaring rates of overall violence across the country, the pandemic, and the general chaos we have seen in the last year.

What can we do about this?

Whether it is a school shooting, a mass shooting at a business establishment, shopping center, outdoor concert, or places of worship, there are steps that an organization can take to help protect itself from these types of occurrences.

The first step is to assess the organization from a security perspective to understand what assets need to be protected, what the organization faces, the threats (what they are defending against), and the vulnerabilities (weaknesses or gaps) within the organization.

Evaluating these components will determine the organization's risk, thus allowing mitigating factors to lessen the likelihood of a significant event.

Mitigating factors may include:

Physical security enhancements
Policy and procedures development
A security presence
Training of staff in emergency response

This proactive posture is your first step towards creating a plan to protect your people, property, and assets. Need help with this? The SRMC 360º Process will help guide the way.

Find more info here: https://www.srmcllc.com/our-process