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Research shows how schools adopt access control
NASSLEO, NASRO and Wren Solutions partner on school access study
Graphic courtesy Wren Solutions
Only 36 percent of schools have adopted electronic access control systems according to new research from Wren Solutions, NASRO and NASSLEO.
Graphic courtesy Wren Solutions
Of those schools that have adopted electronic access control, very few are using that system beyond controlling the main entrances.
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New research from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers (NASSLEO) and security technology firm Wren Solutions paints a picture of access control technology adoption at our nation's schools.
According the research, electronic access control systems are not used by most schools. Sixty-four percent of the survey's respondents said they were not using electronic access anywhere in their facilities. Ones that did use access control devices predominantly use them at main school entrances.
According to Andy Wren, president of Wren Solutions, a video surveillance technology firm which helped organize the research, the results paint a picture of slow adoption of access control technologies. And he says that doesn't surprise him in the least.
"Their job is to educate," said Wren. "Security is not always top of mind. Security has moved up the ladder in mindshare, but a lot of these schools still struggle to understand the need. There is access control in every building, obviously, because every [exterior] door has a lock on it, but a vast minority really have widespread deployments [of electronic access control]."
Budgets always a problem
According to Dr. Richard Caster, the executive director of the 8,000-member National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), many school safety professionals are very aware of security technologies, but there's not always money to buy these systems.
His sentiments were reflected in the Wren/NASRO/NASSLEO research, which found that of the 64 percent of schools not currently using electronic access control, almost three-fourths of those said that was due to funding. And if they were to spend money on upgrading school access control, just half said they would be using their existing school budget. Most (69 percent) said they would have to turn to grant money from the federal or state level.
"Money is an issue," said Caster. "Most schools would like better control over the building and at entrances, but it will always be a money issue. It's a matter of affordability. I keep telling them [security technology companies] that schools need good information and good advice on what they can do and what they can really afford."
