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Dinwiddie outlines expanded school security: drills, radios, cameras and weapons‑screening
Summary
District safety lead described a series of security investments and exercises including cardiac response teams, vestibule upgrades, access‑control swipes, Motorola radios, closed‑circuit cameras at athletic venues, and temporary weapons‑detection gates at events.
Dinwiddie County Public Schools staff described a multi‑year push to improve school security and emergency response that includes new equipment, interagency drills and planned unannounced exercises.
Mister Walters, who presented the update on safety and security, said work began with a joint tabletop and critical‑response exercise in July with district leaders and the Dinwiddie County Sheriff’s Office to review procedures for incidents such as an intruder. That exercise led to procedural changes for law enforcement entry and to school operational changes, Walters told the board.
The district said it completed several upgrades funded in part by a security equipment grant and other local funds: Sunnyside Elementary’s vestibule was extended to create face‑to‑face visitor screening; Southside Elementary received a reinforced storefront and interior door access‑control swipes; and physical‑access swipes will be installed at the bus garage to prevent unsupervised public entry.
Planned installations and activities described in the presentation include closed‑circuit television at the softball field, baseball field, Spring Sports Complex building and the Dinwiddie High School stadium press box and ticket booth (November–December), additional physical access control upgrades, and replacement of an older visitor intercom and camera at Midway Elementary. The district has procured Motorola APX 900 radios that operate on the county system so schools, the bus garage and sheriff’s dispatch can communicate directly. The district ordered 31 more radios to expand county‑wide interoperability.
Walters said the district has stood up cardiac emergency response teams (CPR/AED) and planned certification and drills: team meetings before Thanksgiving, a control drill after the holidays in January and a goal of a spring “live‑drill” exercise in which staff find an unannounced mannequin and respond without prior notice. Walters described the live drill as an above‑and‑beyond exercise beyond Commonwealth minimums intended to test real‑time reaction.
Weapons‑detection gates were used on a trial basis at a recent football game and will be used at additional fall and winter sporting events. The presenter noted early learning curves — for example, cowbells or other large metal items can trigger the sensors — and said staff are refining processes to reduce disruption while testing the technology.
Walters emphasized training and familiarity: the district will not immediately expand student screening without board approval and further study; the athletics screenings are part of a phased rollout to evaluate efficacy and impact on operations.
Why it matters: The upgrades aim to improve response time, interagency communications and physical security at schools and athletics venues. The district said it will return to the board before proposing any permanent student‑entry screening program.
Ending: Board members thanked staff for the work and asked staff to return with additional cost and operational details before any expansion of screening to routine student entry.
