The Virginian-Pilot
©
NORFOLK
School security guards could lose pepper spray as a peace-keeping option but will soon gain a new alternative: techniques to stop violent behavior before it begins.
The School Board will discuss Wednesday whether to continue equipping guards with the stinging spray. Use of the spray in the fall at two middle schools and a high school created a community debate over whether the weapon was appropriate.
The division is the only South Hampton Roads school system to equip civilian security staff with pepper spray.
Some residents worry about the spray for two reasons, Chairman Kirk Houston said.
"Not just the safety of it," he said. "It seems as though the ethics of it were also a question: Should we rely on OC or pepper spray with our children?" OC stands for oleoresin capsicum, a formal name for the spray.
He said school leaders will provide the board with more information about the division's previous use of the spray as well as the experiences of other divisions that don't use it.
"We have only three options: to change our policy to not use it at all, or modify the policy, or leave it as is," Houston said.
Meanwhile, 10 division employees were trained last week by a crisis management consultant in nonviolent intervention practices. The group will pass on the new skills to 150 assistant principals and security officers in a training session this month, school leaders said.
The pepper spray incidents were not the catalyst for the training, although both are connected to school discipline and safety, Houston said.
"There's been an ongoing effort to truly look at how we can make our schools safer, how to more successfully intervene and de-escalate potentially violent situations," he said.
Last week's training by the Milwaukee-based Crisis Prevention Institute included instruction in recognizing behavioral signs, such as cursing, fidgeting or heavy breathing, that may be precursors to a crisis situation.
The goal is to intervene as early as possible and defuse situations before they escalate, instructor Tina Werderman said during the training.
Steven G. Vegh, 757-446-2417, steven.vegh@pilotonline.com
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Not enough!
Its a shame when our children have to be protected in school from other foolish students! Its a shame that police officers even have to be in the schools much less needing to use pepper spray. These students who are NOT there to learn simply need to be put out of school and let their families teach them. It only holds back the students who are there to learn and hopefully be able to go to college one day. My daughter graduated from highschool after taking college level math. She decided to save money she would start at TCC for two years! She had to take the placement test and tested into algebra 1 rather than in a college level where she left off. Shows you just how much they really are NOT learning in public school!
Pepper Spray &More
I taught at one of the schools where pepper spray was used and needless to say, pepper spray is definately a must. The students are out of control and there is no support from administration. The teachers are out there on their own. Kuddos to the security guards who are protecting the unprotected.
pepper spray
Everyone is in favor for safe and secure schools. It is necessary that students and staff be protected. Then we have to provide our staff with whatever is necessary to protect our students. Not everyone comes to school for the love of education.
If students refuse to follow directions from the security staff during incidents or fights, something needs to be done to help the staff to maintain order. That should be why the pepper spray should be continued...it's called necessary.
Speaking of pepper spray, nothing has been said, discussed etc. over the incident last week. No lock down, no after precautions, no comments, nothing addressing the problems kids face, the staff faces, and certainly the security staff. What's up?
Pepper spray is a NECESSARY TOOL TO PROTECT KIDS
I want the "protector" of my children to have EVERY TOOL POSSIBLE to keep my children safe and protect the students from "exterior" threats as well !
Pepper Spray in school.
Good idea, enough said.