There are plenty of things that can be done to safeguard a school against juvenile crimes. Considering the very fact that the number of juvenile crimes is on the rise, it is very important to take firm preventive measures in advance so that the occurrences of such crimes could be reduced. The kind of media coverage we are getting for crime in schools these days is horrible enough to send a shiver down the spine, especially to parents. All types of reports are arriving from different corners regarding the types of crimes that are taking place in schools and other academic institutions – murder, rape, defacement of property, possession of drugs or weapons, assault, and other such things. The most unfortunate thing is that media gives focus to only the most dramatic cases. Following is a brief rundown on some of the steps that you can follow to prepare a plan to safeguard your school.
Draft Specific Legislation
When it comes to developing a plan to safeguard a school against juvenile crimes, the first thing you can do is to draft a specific legislation in this regard. Your school legislation must be developed in a way to enhance the level of punishments for those people who purchase AK47 rifles or sell weapons or drugs near schools.
Frequent Meetings
You also need to keep yourself thoroughly up-to-date with the latest development and news regarding juvenile crimes. One way to do this is to organize frequent meetings with law enforcement officials.
Introduce A Special Curriculum
You will also have to develop a specific plan on how you are going to inform the students studying in your school about the dangers and harsh consequences of gang activities and crimes. This step is very important to safeguard a school against juvenile crimes. A great way to do this is to introduce a special curriculum in your school for this purpose.
After-School Recreational Programs
If you are very serious about reducing the incidences of juvenile crimes in the society, you may also consider the idea of creating some after-school recreational programs in a way that should keep the children off the streets while their classes are not in session. However, this step requires a lot of brainstorming. Besides that, you also need to take the legal factors into account. That is the reason why it is always recommended to plan such programs by discussing the various aspects involved in it with not only the school board but also the law enforcement officials.
Know The Gang Symbols
While you are working on different strategies to safeguard a school against juvenile crimes, you must also consider putting a school-wide ban on anything that is related to gang activities. In order to do this effectively, you must first take some time out to learn the gang symbols in your area. The gang symbols can include an array of different things, such as special insignias, gestures, and clothing, just to name a few.
Involve Others
If you want to get the best results out of your efforts, you must also involve others in your plan, such as community representatives, local law-enforcement officials, parents, and obviously students. Whatever your plans are, it must cover each and every aspect of safety, including emergency preparedness and personal-security issues.
Overall, though the task to prepare strategies and implement the same thoroughly to safeguard a school against juvenile crimes is not an easy one, if you follow the right approach and keep in mind the above tips and suggestions, you can achieve good results.