Holding Security Guards

Accountable
Demands from D.C. Youth

The Critical Exposure Fellowship is a group of high

school students from around the city. Every year, we
choose a campaign to improve our school
communities. This year, we are advocating for the
change of the security contract to improve student-
security guard interactions. The negative interactions
students have with security guards contribute to
unwelcoming school environments. The way students
are treated within schools is a part of the school-to-
prison pipeline that pushes students out of
schools. We are conducting our campaign with the
goal to end this problem that has plagued our city for
far too long. Within this document, you will find our
demands to DCPS and MPD, photos that convey the
problems we are facing, and a more in-depth
description of our campaign.

HISTORY OF SCHOOL SECURITY IN DCPS

After a DCPS student was fatally shot at Ballou Senior High
School concerns were raised about the quality of school
safety in the District. This led to the Metropolitan Police
Department (MPD) School Safety and Security Act of 2004
which created a School Security Division at MPD and shifted
the management of school security from D.C. Public Schools
(DCPS) to MPD.
The Act also required the School Security Division to
develop a training curriculum for school security personnel
that covers child development, effective communication
skills, behavior management, conflict resolution, substance
abuse and its effect on youth, availability of social services
for youth, D.C. law and regulation and constitutional
standards for searches and seizures.
While many of the problems of securing school buildings
have been addressed since the Act of 2004, we believe that
there are still similar problems with the interpersonal
relationships between security guards and students in 2016.
Many students have experienced negative interactions with
security guards from being turned away from the front door
of schools to having situations escalated by the guards
involvement.

D.C. YOUTH OPINIONS ON SECURITY

GUARDS
This Spring, we surveyed 150 students from DCPS
and D.C. Charter schools to learn about their
relationships with security guards in their schools.
The students surveyed represent nine DCPS schools
and two charter schools.
51% of students are not comfortable with the guards at
their school
Only 25% of students think that the guards are well
trained
Only 43% of students feel respected by the guards at
their school
Only 41% of students have a positive relationship with
security guards at their school.

PHOTOGRAPHS

YOU ARE BEING WATCHED

Breianna, 11th Grade
Fellowship
Wherever you walk or wherever you go, you are being watched. It's like you can never
have any privacy. It's basically "All Eyes on You." I know it's corny but it's true. When
the bell rings the second time, the cameras can spot you. The security guards who are
monitoring the cameras can also see you. They can call other security guards to get the
students in class.

ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

John, 12th Grade
Fellowship
As a student that goes to a DCPS school, walking into school every day and to have to
get searched at the doors makes me feel like a criminal. A school is supposed to make
you feel like you are an important person. But that is not the case. It makes me feel
small and not important. Also, the guards don't make it any better with the animosity
that they bring in to the school. I will feel better if they had a lot more training with their
people skills. It will make students at DCPS schools feel a lot more welcomed.

ALL LOCKED UP
Mike, 12th Grade
Fellowship
Bathrooms are usually locked in my school. To get them open, you have to find a
security guard to open them. Security guards are more than open to get the door for
you.

ONE SETTING THREE WAYS

Portia, 12th Grade
Fellowship 2016
In one part of the hallway there are three cameras. This part of the hallway has no corners, so
each camera pretty much captures the same thing. There are two problems with this. One,
having three cameras is a waste of money if they all display the same setting. This money
could have went to something more valuable to the students. Also, this makes the students feel
like they are watched. Three cameras in one hallway? They are watching our every move.

SOLUTIONS
What message do you send to youth when there are more security
guards per student than there are guidance counselors?
DCPS uses the American School Counselor Association
recommendation for counselor to ratio of 250:1 while in many of our
schools the ratio of security guards to students is approximated 70:1.
Our biggest problem with the number of negative interactions with
security guards is that they extend into bigger educational problems
for students. When you first walk into the school building the first
person you will most likely have an interaction with is the security
guards. When that interaction is negative, it impacts how students feel
about school, their attendance and graduation rates.

DCPS has done a great job at improving graduation rates in D.C.

from 53% in 2011 to 64% in 2015. We believe these problems can
be addressed through a clarification of security guard roles in
school, additional training for security guards and creating a
system of accountability for security guards. Only then will
students feel more welcomed in their schools and graduation rates
will continue to improve.

DEMANDS
As the Critical Exposure Fellowship class, we demand that DCPS/MPD
amend the current security guard contract to address the following three
areas.

1. Security Guards Roles and Responsibilities: Update the roles and

responsibilities of security guards and prioritize improving
relationships with students.
2. Additional Basic Training: Require additional basic training for
guards before they begin working in schools.
3. Accountability: Create a system of accountability for security guard
performance.

SECURITY GUARD ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Regarding their job function, we demand that security guards:
1) Follow only rules that exist in the security guard handbook
2) Have awareness of rules for youth and knowledge of rights within schools and respect
those rights
3) DCPS/MPD should reach consensus on what security guards are allowed to
confiscate across DCPS schools and only confiscate objects that could be harmful to
students or other persons in school. This list should be posted at all school entrances.
a) We believe that guards should not confiscate metal forks/spoons, hair picks,
perfume/scented oil, plastic bottles, bobby pins, cosmetics, over the counter meds
(eg. Advil) or cups from stores.
4) DCPS/MPD update the security guard handbook with input and feedback from DCPS
students.

ADDITIONAL BASIC TRAINING

Although the current training seems to cover many topics that we believe are
important, we do not believe that they are taught in an effective way and demand
that the training is changed to be more interactive and applicable.
1) Receive additional training on student development and interactions with students
that are peaceful and supportive
2) Receive additional training on DCPS Regulations and the role of school security
3) The following aspects of supplemental training be incorporated into the basic training
required BEFORE guards can start working in schools:
a) Effective Communication
b) Child Development
c) Visitor Control

ACCOUNTABILITY
We demand that a system be created to hold security guards accountable. This
should include the following components:
1) Each Security Guard job description be posted on the DCPS website & on the job site
for students to access
2) Develop a formal complaint system for security guards and schools resource officers
that is accessible to all students. Grievances should be reviewed by a third party
unaffiliated with the particular school who should recommend actions to address the
grievance.
a) Conflicts between security guards and students can be resolved through a
mediation with a trained third party facilitator.
3) Random evaluations be conducted on an ongoing basis to evaluate security guard
performance
4) Student Representation on the MPD Oversight Board
a) 2-3 current students who represent the student body
i) Who can attend meetings
ii) Who will provide feedback on trainers & training methods
iii) Who have voting power regarding what trainers are selected

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This document was created by the 2016 Fellowship Class

Breianna V.
Briandy C.
Charley M.
Dawn N.
Donovan N.
I-Ra A.
Jack B.
John B.
Mercedes B.

Meshaun J.
Minisare R.
Nadia R.
Portia C.
Sandra L.
Victoria V..

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