Prince William County schools hire contract security company to monitor schools
Prince William County VA April 28 2023 PWCS is committed to launching thriving futures for our students, and a key part of this commitment is providing a welcoming, supportive, and safe environment for teaching and learning.
The division continuously evaluates safety and security protocols and determines where improvements can be made in our capabilities to deter, detect, and defend.
Among the improvements is additional school security officers (SSO).
PWCS has contracted TriCorps Security to support schools who have encountered obstacles filling the SSO position or to assist schools in need of additional security.
The TriCorps Security officers have completed the mandatory state SSO certification training and have received training in the PWCS Crisis Management Plan response actions.
Starting May 1, TriCorps Security officers will begin serving as SSOs at schools throughout the division.
They will be assisting current SSOs with various security tasks such as:
Conducting interior rounds of the school building during instruction time, which includes checking that classroom doors are closed/locked.
Conducting exterior rounds of the school building after the tardy bell and during each class change to ensure all exterior doors are secure.
Assisting with traffic and arrivals/departures as assigned by the lead SSO or building administration.
Observing students as they use the access door from the school to classroom trailers during class changes.
Regularly checking restrooms and reporting any concerning behavior.
Reporting obvious violations of the Code of Behavior via radio to the building administration.
To assist students and staff in identifying the new security officers, PWCS is requiring the contracted security officers to wear contractor ID badges provided by PWCS.
