New Security Control System Being Installed at Sherwood

By Sammie Spillman ‘16

school security system

Sherwood is installing an access control system for the 2014-2015 school year. The security system is to be installed in the front lobby, the lower H-hall doors, and the upper B-hall doors. The new control system is required by MCPS for all schools, and is a computerized system that will secure the building from the outside during the school day and will better monitor who comes in and out of the school.

Rather than visitors freely entering the main lobby doors and going to the main office to sign in, they will buzz an intercom and secretaries in the main office will be able to see the visitors from a video feed on their computers and determine whether or not to buzz the visitors in. Once the visitor enters the building, a newly designed lobby area will direct them immediately into the Main Office. The visitors will swipe their driver’s license in a machine that will log the date and time. Reportedly, they will be able to check if visitors have been flagged as pedophiles.

A door in the front lobby, in addition to ones in lower H-hall and upper B-hall, will have a system that will allow Sherwood employees to swipe a card that will unlock the door. This will allow teachers and other staff to enter the building when all the doors are locked. There will be an override system so that the doors will be unlocked at the beginning and end of the school day to allow students to enter and depart school.

Security Team Leader Patrick Rooney said that the system is only fully effective in increasing students’ safety and the security of the building if students do not let people inside. Students should direct those visitors to the front of the building to properly use the intercom and buzz-in system.