Posted on 10/07/2004 10:14:24 AM PDT by crushelits
WASHINGTON - The Education Department has advised school leaders nationwide to watch for people spying on their buildings or buses to help detect any possibility of terrorism like the deadly school siege in Russia.
The warning follows an analysis by the FBI (news - web sites) and the Homeland Security Department of the siege that killed nearly 340 people, many of them students, in the city of Beslan last month.
"The horror of this attack may have created significant anxiety in our own country among parents, students, faculty staff and other community members," Deputy Education Secretary Eugene Hickok said in a letter to schools and education groups.
The safety advice is based on lessons learned from the Russia incident. But there is "no specific information indicating that there is a terrorist threat to any schools or universities in the United States," Hickok said.
Federal law enforcement officials also have encouraged local police to stay in contact with school officials and have encouraged reporting of suspicious activities, the letter says.
In particular, schools were told to watch for activities that may be legitimate on their own — but may suggest a heightened terrorist threat if many of them occur.
Among those activities:
_ Interest in obtaining site plans for schools, bus routes and attendance lists;
_ Prolonged "static surveillance" by people disguised as panhandlers, shoe shiners, newspaper or flower vendors or street sweepers not previously seen in the area;
_ Observations of security drills;
_ People staring at or quickly looking away from employees or vehicles as they enter or leave parking areas;
_ Foot surveillance of campuses involving individuals working together.
The effort is the latest by the Education Department and other federal agencies to encourage school officials to maintain and practice a plan for responding to emergencies.
After the terrorist takeover of the Russian school, President Bush (news - web sites) asked his top advisers to review their strategies for dealing with hostage situations, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has said.
The federal government is advising schools to take many steps to improve the security of their buildings. Those include installing locks for all doors and windows, having a single entry point into buildings and ensuring they can reach school bus drivers in an emergency.
The Education Department sent its letter by e-mail Wednesday to school police, state school officers, school boards, groups representing principals and many other organizations.
The Homeland Security Department also sent a bulletin Wednesday to federal, state and local emergency officials to provide fresh guidance based on the review of the school siege in Russia.
The children are sitting ducks in gun-free zones.
" Interest in obtaining site plans for schools, bus routes and
attendance lists;
_ Prolonged "static surveillance" by people disguised as
panhandlers, shoe shiners, newspaper or flower vendors or street
sweepers not previously seen in the area;
_ Observations of security drills;
_ People staring at or quickly looking away from employees or
vehicles as they enter or leave parking areas;
_ Foot surveillance of campuses involving individuals working
together. "
The above reads about the same as the thread we had here a couple days ago on the danger to our hospitals.
To me I don't consider it a "threat", it is a war, that reaches around the world.
Our schools, hospitals, food and even the flu vaccine now seems to have "other" motives, to keep it from being shipped.
48 million doses of flu vaccine, are not dumped for "no" reason, the late news on the radio, was still saying "no known reason" for stopping the shipment of vaccine.
Don't worry. The liberal peace protesters and their anti-self defense policies will save them. (/s)
You touch one school....we drop 100 MOABs.
Bump!
No problem, take care.
That's a load of Barbara Striesand.
Our schools are WIDE OPEN to an attack.
Several months ago we had a man walk into an elementary school and try to kidnap a girl. Nothing's been done as far as increasing security as a result. Nothing.
I was told that the reason our schools here don't have armed security is that "we want the children to feel safe"....huh???
We were discussing on another thread that MANY polling places are set up in SCHOOLS.
Be careful out there, folks.
Makes homeschooling that much more appealing.
I wish that were so. Even after a Beslan-type attack here we'd hear more about "terrorists hijacking a peaceful religion." I'm all for nuking Mecca in any event, as I think this is the only way to show these nutjobs we are serious about them stopping this crap. But, after what I have witnessed over the past few years I doubt there would be any resolve beyond a bit of rhetoric.
Hold it - - I thought we were safer because Saddam has been ousted? Guess not. REMEMBER OSAMA? MAYBE IT WASN'T SO SMART TO TAKE THE FOCUS OFF OF AL QUADA. I cheered when Bush, after 9-11, said he'd get Osama "dead or alive." I got grumpy when Bush lost that focus, stopped talking about Osama, and became fixated on a country that didn't have anything to do with 9-11 -- and DIDN'T HAVE WMD STOCKPILES.
When you get stung by a hornet, and you notice you've got a hornets nest growing on your front porch, you don't wait until the swarm attacks. You destroy the hive before it gets even bigger.
Not unless YOU are somehow elected president of the USA.
Otherwise, it won't happen.
Hey, we could be fighting the whole cult of radical islamists here instead of in the Middle East. Attacking schools would be a common event. Does that sound better?
Glad you emphasized that. I hadn't given that story much thought before reading your post.
Arm the teachers and staff. Works for Israel.
There needs to be a global test, This administration mislead, Haliburton, Enron, No WMD, Wrong post wrong time...
Not if you are a student, teacher, or staff of the school in question or a school cop.
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