LOS ANGELES — Back on June 1, UCLA experienced a school shooting that left two people dead. Now, six weeks later, the university is considering adding remotely controlled door locks for classrooms to its security measures.
One of the critiques that came out of the shooting was students felt unsafe while hiding in their classrooms because the doors couldn’t lock, according to NBC Los Angeles. Students used belts and desk chairs instead.
The report says that the door-locking system would be the first of its kind in the country. But is it the best solution? One security expert says no.
“If you push a button you’re not going to be able to get inside a classroom and you may have to find a classroom with students inside that will let you in,” said Jeff Zisner of AEGIS Security Investigations.
It’s a fair criticism: Harmless students roaming through the halls might be locked out of a potential safe spot — a classroom — during an active shooter situation. Zisner suggests using the money to better secure the current systems on campus.
“The first step would be putting in locks that are effective, being able to produce mass communication devices or systems that would be able to get you in contact with all of your students, and perhaps training them as well,” Zisner says.
