School safety has been taken more seriously after a rise in school shootings. Westside has began to add safety precautions to increase safety of  students. Door alarms on secondary exits have been added around school in an attempt to keep students safer.

“I absolutely think everybody is worried about safety in schools, and this helps if everyone does the right thing to help contain our safety,” resource officer Jeff Kilgore said. “There are four new door alarms, there is one by the entry near the band hall, one in the blue gym, one in the 200 hallway down towards the West and the other one on the North side in the 200 hallway.”

By asking around, and interviewing a lot of students most stated that they don’t think that the alarms are used for that purpose. The staff are concerned for the wellbeing of students. Multiple staff state that students have let other people in our school not knowing if they are or aren’t a threat to safety. Most of the other situations that relate to one like this states that most of the time it doesn’t matter if it’s their friend.

“I feel as if we are being held into the school with all the alarms,” junior Rhonnie Jones said. “I’ve only heard of people who leave the school not letting people in. Especially after all the school shootings happening. And as a junior I want to leave early when I don’t have anymore classes.”

There are consequences for leaving the school and setting an alarm off. First time offenders are given a warning. If the behavior continues, then the offender will receive a detention or an in school suspension. Kilgore said that’s not all. The alarms are going to be put into more use in the summer when they add more alarms because there are 37 doors and only one officer at school.

“This should have been done a long time ago but it is just being done now because it is big in the news and it is a money thing. The alarms are expensive,” Kilgore said. 

Administrative Assistant Jamie Jank said she thinks most students don’t allow other students into school and they realize it has become a danger.

“I believe we have a safer environment when we have the alarms,” Jank said.