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Board member urges better perimeter alerts after after-school lockdown
Summary
Board member Yasmin described a recent after-school lockdown, praised staff and police response but said families outside the campus received no perimeter alert and suggested installing a siren or messaging system; she also questioned initial police tactics during the incident.
Board member Yasmin told the Martinez Unified School District Board on Oct. 28 about an after-school lockdown she witnessed while picking up her child. She praised teachers and Martinez police for their response to what she said was ultimately a false alarm, but identified operational gaps she believes need improvement.
"I was very happy to see how fast our teachers, and Martinez police responded to the situation," Yasmin said, then added that when she was waiting outside she saw Alhambra students attempting to walk back onto campus because there was no perimeter alert to keep families away. "We need to have some sort of alarm or some sort of messaging system to let kids and families stay away from the campus," she said.
Yasmin also said she observed officers walking the perimeter before entering the school and suggested that additional training may be needed so officers enter and clear buildings earlier in a lockdown scenario. She said she discussed some of her concerns with Superintendent Helen Rossi after the incident.
Rossi did not announce formal policy changes at the meeting but acknowledged the discussion and the parent-board member's request for follow-up. The board did not take action during the session; Yasmin urged staff to consider perimeter notification options and coordination with local law enforcement.
