Concerned students and parents are demanding stronger safety protocols after an incident at Betty Fairfax High School’s homecoming dance led to panic and fear among attendees. On October 19, Phoenix police responded to a 911 call reporting students with guns on campus. Though no weapons were found, one juvenile was arrested during the police response, and the chaotic scene has since raised pressing questions about campus security.
Dozens of students, parents, and community members expressed frustration and fear about safety at Thursday’s Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board meeting. One student remembers the dance as a traumatic experience in which attendees “fear for their lives,” but others call for the incident as it could have been avoided, further emphasizing the need for proactivity in school event security.
Students and parents at Betty Fairfax responded to questions on the psychological impact and lingering anxiety from the event, with many expressing concerns over the preparation of the district for such crises. Several students asked for metal detectors to be fitted in schools and the implementation of SROs in all events to ensure that such incidents will not recur again.
The Phoenix Union High School District currently has four SROs and two school safety officers who work on the campuses and two other district schools in a pilot weapons detection program. Betty Fairfax High School is not included in that pilot or have an assigned SRO currently.
“We have to move based on these calls to action,” said Principal Jef Heredia of Betty Fairfax, in pushing the board to come up with a comprehensive and responsive program for the students’ calls for action. “Our students are clear-they want actions that protect everyone’s safety.”
Some children and parents were urging that levels of security be increased, including installing metal detectors, where others opined that intensified security would ruin the atmosphere at this school. Others called for more mental health interventions and preventative measures for the students who will spend several hours within the school walls, saying that there were solution much beyond just keeping out the hooligans from entering it.
The district issued a statement assuring the community that safety is its priority: “We commit ourselves to working in partnership with students, staff, and families to continue necessary improvements. Tonight we heard from our community about safety concerns on our campuses, and we are listening.”
Before the district announces what they decide on, it is hoped that changes come that will be meaningful and create a better environment.
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