ASIS proposes school security standard

As school violence and shootings continue shaking the United States, security is becoming a hot topic with investment pouring into equipment such as surveillance cameras, biometrics and panic buttons. And with the rise of the school security industry, standards are also becoming an important issue.

The American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), one of the world’s largest professional organizations for security professionals, introduced a set of recommendations this week for security equipment at schools.

The proposed ASIS International School Security Standard covers new technology such as AI and biometrics, cameras, intrusion detection sensors, drones, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT). The framework also looks at physical security, behavioral threat assessment management (BTAM) and emergency operations planning (EOP) and provides instructions on installing systems such as panic buttons and emergency school communication systems.

The new standards can be seen as a response to criticism over deployments of school security equipment, including facial recognition. Data privacy concerns, algorithm bias and handling of the biometric data of children have moved jurisdictions such as New York to ban facial recognition in schools altogether.

“Currently, there is a lack of consistency in school security regulations across different states and countries,” says ASIS. “This inconsistency can leave schools vulnerable to a range of security threats.”

ASIS, accredited by the nonprofit American National Standards Institute (ANSI), invited more than 50 industry experts to formulate the new school safety standards. The organization closed comments on the draft standards on September 9th.

Article Topics

ASIS  |  biometrics  |  children  |  school security  |  schools  |  video surveillance