JENNIFER JOHNSON ON FEB 1, 2017
SOURCE: MCCLATCHY
Jan. 31--A security firm's recent evaluation of Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 schools revealed visitors were allowed to enter buildings without permission, walk around unattended and even take photographs, the board of education was told recently.
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In his Jan. 23 report to the board, Paul Timm of RETA Security, a Lemont-based school security consulting firm hired by District 64, outlined several security breaches that occurred when undercover RETA employees visited District 64 schools and attempted to gain access.
Timm said the breaches occurred at the six schools that do not have locked entry vestibules.
In his report, Timm referenced incidents where undercover security team members were buzzed into schools, but did not report to the main offices, giving them full access to the school building. He described how two of the team members followed behind a visitor who was being buzzed into a school through the main entrance, allowing them to enter the building without stating their purpose for being there or checking in at the main office. Timm described how both walked through the school without question.
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"No one addressed those two individuals, a male and a female, the entire time they were in the building, which was probably 10 minutes, taking photos of boiler rooms, auditoriums, cafeterias," Timm told the school board. "In four instances, the female RETA security person did hit the intercom button from the outside and was asked to state a purpose for being there. She stated she was there to visit a former teacher and was granted permission to come into the building. She did not report to the office in any of those cases."
The male RETA security employee was able to follow the woman inside in these instances, Timm said.
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