Update on safety issues on campus

By Jeremy L.Z. and Joshua C.

Several security issues, including people walking into the school and fights between students, have impacted the CATS community since the start of school.

On September 9, a homeless man walked onto campus, questioning school safety. Mr. Francisco Garcia, also known as Mr. G, is one of the campus aides who witnessed the incident.

“So I carry a radio and when Ms. Parrish (Director of Operations at Diego Rivera) radioed in we all ran and we noticed him as soon as he walked in.”

“I personally think security on campus is pretty good, but one improvement I think we can improve on is keeping the front door locked because it is unlocked.”

According to him, it took them a while to get the man out off campus but they eventually did.

The man was sitting down but next to him was another assistant principal from Public Service and a lot of other staff. “The situation during that time I felt when i got there was pretty much in control,” said Mr Roque, CATS’ Assistant Principal.

He said Mr. Hilbert, Assistant Principal for Public Service, was speaking to the man in a calm manner trying to get him to leave.

Mr. Roque said “we’ve been waiting for the district to install a buzzer in the main office so people can buzz in and see who’s coming or the secretaries in the office can see who’s coming in and let that person in.”

Their focus is to make sure the students are safe so they did worry when the man was there. They waited for the police to arrive and escort the man. “The cops were like, ‘Wow this was easier than we thought,”’ said Mr Roque.

Another issue that has impacted the school is student fights.

“I realized and the staff realized that the students don’t feel safe,” he said.

He explained that staff have been working with the families of the students who have been involved in the fights. They also have been in touch with school police because there have been fights at the nearby park. “All the staff on the complex, not just us or Green Design but everyone has been supervising outside to make sure the kids know that we are there for them,” he said, adding “we do the same thing at the park.”

One strategy to help with stopping these fights, he said, is bringing out games to play during lunch like Cornhole to reduce aggressiveness because now three schools have lunch together at the same time and because they don’t want more fights to happen. “We are trying to work with families and work with each other and work with the students as well and with school police.”