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Westbury Union Free School District outlines safety upgrades, hires private security firm
Summary
Project Safe coordinator Bill Thalesick presented a district update on new safety measures — upgraded PA systems, panic buttons, Knox Boxes, ID-scanning Timepiece, stricter ID rules, expanded camera coverage and a contract with Arrow Security — and students and staff said they feel safer.
Bill Thalesick, Project Safe coordinator for the Westbury Union Free School District, summarized a series of recent security upgrades at district schools and said the measures are intended to make students and staff safer.
"We have many improvements to our overall safety and security systems," Thalesick said, listing upgraded public-address systems at the middle and high schools, newly installed panic buttons, Knox Boxes for emergency access, a Timepiece ID-scanning system for staff and a district expectation that students wear their ID daily.
Thalesick said the district coordinates with Nassau County police and distributes a staff safety newsletter while holding regular districtwide safety-and-security meetings. A staff member who discussed building-level upgrades at Palestine School described new access badges — referred to in the presentation as "SymTeachers" badges — that allow staff to reach the principal and the security team "with just 3 clicks of a button." That staff member also said the district added more security personnel to improve response and communication across buildings.
Speakers described tighter access control at Westbury High School, including alarmed doors and a single controlled entrance and exit. "All other doors are alarmed, so we know exactly who enters and who leaves our building," one presenter said. The district also reported broader camera coverage and said it has contracted Arrow Security to supplement in-district security staff.
Students and parents who spoke during the presentation repeatedly said the changes make them feel safer. One student said they feel safer because "there's a lot of cameras" and because staff and security are visible throughout campus; another described gate installations and locked doors that, in their view, contribute to a safer environment.
The presentation emphasized operational tools the district has adopted: Knox Boxes to allow first responders access to buildings, Timepiece for staff check-in, and the expectation that students present ID daily. No formal vote or motion was recorded in the transcript of the presentation.
The district did not provide dollar amounts or contract terms for Arrow Security in the transcript, and the presentation gave no timeline for additional installations beyond the items described. The district indicated that safety upgrades will continue to be discussed in regular safety-and-security meetings.
