School Security Task Force Set Up For Bergen County
HACKENSACK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Officials in Bergen County, N.J., formed a task force Monday to focus on school security assessments.
County Prosecutor John Molinelli announced that the group had formed following numerous requests his office had received from school districts in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in Newtown, Conn.
In January, Molinelli told superintendents that his office would perform the security assessments for free. He said they have 166 scheduled in the coming months.
Molinelli said the School Security Assessment Task Force will bring together officers from local police departments, school officials and the prosecutor's office risk mitigation planner. They will come up with recommendations on a case-by-case basis.
Recommendations for schools can range from infrastructure changes, like investing in swipe-card entry systems and security cameras, to simple changes in protocol.
In January, Bergen County officials began offering free safety audits to schools in response to the massacre. They were to be conducted by an expert with experience in assessing risk in public places.
The reviews were also to look into each school's facilities and policies.
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