District security director reports new officers, contraband recoveries and visitor‑management pilot

Director Asim Rose told the board the security department hired three full‑time officers assigned to elementary campuses and expanded hardware and procedures across schools to reduce contraband and vandalism. He named officer Ashley Paris (Abraham Lincoln Elementary), officer Shamara Cox (Obama Elementary) and officer Talia/Taylor Hollins (John F. Kennedy High School), and said officer Kenny Muhammad was converted from a substitute to a full‑time officer at JFK.

Rose described equipment upgrades (additional wands, upgraded exterior gates at Rochelle and Dunham, new cameras) and daily perimeter checks and bag searches at Maple Heights High School. He said security recovered "a possibly 14 firearms, look alike firearms, numerous knives, razors, tasers, mace, and other prohibited items" during arrival times and credited training and local police partnerships for preventing those incidents from escalating.

Rose described a visitor management system placed at building entrances that prints badges and sends text notifications on sign‑in and sign‑out; he said the district piloted the system about 30–40 days before school and the vendor checked sensors over the summer. Board members raised stadium vandalism concerns; Rose said he contacted James Decker Jr., head of building officials, and is coordinating possible gate height increases and other steps with city officials and the Maple Heights Police Department.