In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced expanded safety procedures, communications protocols and investments in technology to enhance safety and security on school campuses.
“Since Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, and now in Uvalde, Texas, we have witnessed that ready access to guns for anyone, including students, without any filter, means that any place in America can become a dangerous place, whether it’s a movie theater, a grocery store, a temple, a church or a school,” Carvalho said.
“Thanks to the Board of Education, Los Angeles Unified has implemented numerous safety measures in our school communities. However, as part of the ongoing review of our practices and procedures, we must continue to assess and update safety protocols in order to keep our students, employees and families as safe as possible.”
Los Angeles Unified’s updated safety protocols will include an access assessment to ensure reduced points of entry. The District is also exploring the use of mobile applications with GPS capability to enable first responders effective access to critical incidents.
The access assessment will also include exploring safe corner designations in schools so that students, employees, families and first responders will know where the most protected area is in case of an incident.
The District will also widen collaboration with local first responder entities to share critical information, beginning with maps of schools for swift orientation of first responders to specific pinpointed crisis areas in a school.
In the event of a critical incident, Los Angeles Unified’s Chief of Police Leslie Ramirez will engage with other municipal entities to ensure a rapid exchange of information that will shorten the time of response.
Finally, the District is evaluating and refining systems to provide enhanced mental health supports, with a focus on prevention and early identification, including the consideration of reduced student counselor ratios and sensitivity training for employees.