CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
Security measures for more than 350 elementary schools city wide are under review. Chicago Public Schools says the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school is a critical reminder to be vigilant and prepared.
CPS sent a letter to principals, saying, "..all exterior doors should be secured at all times, all students and staff must wear valid CPS ID cards at all times and all security officers should use perimeter search and walk down procedures throughout the day to help identify possible threats."
Some parents arrived early to Ruben Salaazar Bilingual Center to pick up their little ones. There was mixed reaction when we asked them about installing metal detectors in elementary schools city wide.
"I think that changes the atmosphere of the school and I'm not sure if that's the correct answer but that's how I feel is I don't want my kids going to place that feels like an unsafe place," says Jen Schultz.
"They have guns and knives, yes, they should have a whole lot of metal detectors in grammar school, high school, Catholic school, yes they should," says Renee Thomas, a grandmother. "Even elementary school."
CPS Chief Safety and Security Officer Jadine Chou says every elementary and high school have some level of security, including a full-time security officer on campus and access to metal detectors.
"For those schools that don't have the stand-up metal detectors, they all have access to the handheld wand metal detectors," explains CPS Chief Safety and Security Officer Jadine Chou. "We're doing everything in our power to make sure that this type of incident does not happen in Chicago."
But Chou says no two schools are the same and security measures may vary by campus.
"Not every school will necessarily need a kindergartner to be wanded every single morning - those are the type of things that need to be analyzed on a case by case basis," says Chou.
Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett released this statement: "The safety and protection of our students is of the utmost importance to our school principals, teachers, staff and administrators and is a responsibility the District takes seriously."
