NEWS 5
SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don/eldonnews.org • MONDAY, MAY 21, 2018
CAMPUS SECURITY
DISTRICT ADDS
SAFETY STAFF
EQUIPS 10 WITH NEW FIREARMS, INSTALLS
EMERGENCY MAGNETIC DOOR STRIPS
T
BY LIZ FUENTES / el Don
en new armed security personnel
members are joining the Rancho
Santiago Community College
District by the end of this semester,
more than doubling the current dis-
trict-wide armed offi cer count.
Currently, the district employs
seven safety managers, two sergeants
and one lieutenant at Santa Ana Col-
lege and Santiago Canyon College,
with Toni Bland as the Interim Chief
of District Safety and Security.
In 2016, Bland said she placed an
additional six offi cers through strict
training and psychological tests.
Th ese six offi cers meet the criteria to
carry a fi rearm and were slated for
approval this month.
“All offi cers have gone through
rigorous hiring and training
processes,” Bland said.
To improve campus safety, SAC
security personnel are using new
radios district-wide, on-campus
emergency towers and the LiveSafe
mobile application, which can send
safety tips, emergency alerts and
immediate direct calls and messages
to security offi cers.
“It’s important we are working dili-
gently. Generally, we have low crime
[rates] and the statistics’ annual
sources prove this,” Bland said. “We
want to make sure that everyone can
get a text alert and be able to down-
load the LiveSafe app.”
According to District Chancellor
Raul Rodriguez’ offi cial update, the
district also anticipates hiring an
additional four new armed safety
staff in the near future alongside the
six offi cers hired by Bland.
In 2014, former Santa Ana Police
Chief Paul Walters recommended the
district hire armed offi cers, suggest-
ing to the board of trustees that they
add two on each campus. In 2015,
the board approved moving forward
with a plan to arm security offi cers,
reversing a 25-year policy that pre-
vented guns on campus.
Students and faculty have mixed
reactions towards the increase of
fi rearms on campus.
“I feel safer, because if anything
were to happen, there would be
armed offi cers at school and they
would know what to do,” said SAC
student Suzette Palacios.
“I’m sure many students worry
about their safety, and I don’t think
the numbers really matter as long as
there’s someone willing to protect
other students.”
“For me, it’s complicated. I’m not
opposed to having armed offi cers on
campus, but I am glad that they have
in-depth training. I wish I didn’t have
to think about these things. I didn’t
realize that it was going to be part of
my job description,” said Women in
U.S. History professor Megan Lange.
Th e college is also installing emer-
gency magnetic lock strips, which
are attached to the sides of classroom
doors. With the doors locked from
the outside, the strip may be placed
over the door latch hole to allow stu-
dents and faculty to enter the room.
In the event an intruder is on-cam-
pus, people can slide the strip off the
door lock, preventing intruders from
infi ltrating classrooms.
For the Summer 2018 term, SAC
security plans to equip 80 percent of
classrooms with the magnetic strips.
Th ere is a list of all classrooms that
require an alternative or thumb-turn
locking mechanism.
“Hearing about all of this mass
shooting makes me feel unsure about
my career choice in becoming a
teacher. I have to stop and think, ‘do
I really want to lose my life?’” said
SAC Early Childhood Education
Major Erica Saldivar.