Safety and Security
Town Hall Update
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St. Hugo of the Hills Security Update: Here is a security update for those who were not able to attend the Town Hall meeting on The parish continues to forge a strong partnership with the Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department. School and parish staff have weekly (sometimes daily) conversations with our liaison officer, Chris Furlong. Recently, Fr. Tony, Fr. Tim and Brian Bartkowiak met with Officer Furlong and the Chief of Police to discuss various security and safety topics. The school now has a dedicated security committee, comprised of parents and staff. This committee is helping to communicate security concerns, as well as prioritize security initiatives. In March, we had our first A.L.I.C.E presentation from Officer Furlong, for school and parish staff members. A.L.I.C.E, which is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate, is a methodology for taking action should an active shooter situation arise. Another presentation will be held on April 26, at 6:30pm in the church. All school parents and parishioners are invited to attend. The report from our school security and safety vulnerability assessment was recently completed. The assessment, performed by the Titan Group, provided excellent insight into areas where we can enhance the school’s safety and security. While there were no major issues identified during the assessment, there are some key recommendations, which we have already addressed, or will be addressing. Increased police presence during all weekend masses and the Wednesday school mass has continued. We are also investigating contract security firms as a potential alternative for armed presence. The Bloomfield Hills Public Safety Department is also routinely present on our parish campus during many other times of the week as part of their normal patrols. We have made great progress on the installation of an access control system, and additions to our video surveillance system. A large portion of the work was completed during the two weeks after Easter taking advantage of the school break. This coming week, we’re expecting the remaining equipment to be installed for this phase of our project. The access control system will allow the parish to better control who has access to the church and school buildings, and the times when individuals have access to the buildings. It will allow us to immediately disable an access card that is lost, and immediately remove access for those who may no longer need access. We will also be logging the details of who enters our buildings, and when they access the buildings. We are adding eighteen cameras to our video surveillance system. Sixteen of those cameras are to be installed in, or around, the school building. This will provide video surveillance of the perimeter of the school building, as well as all internal hallways and entry doors. |
Some of the future projects we have planned are:
Most importantly, it is imperative that if you see something, say something. Students and parents at the school are doing a great job of reporting “things” that do not seem right, and as a result we’ve been able to quickly address potential incidents. We encourage all parishioners to mention anything that may not seem right, or makes you feel uncomfortable. May the work the parish is doing around safety and security bring us increased peace. When we greet each other at mass with Jesus’s words, “Peace be with you,” what are we really saying? In one way, we are admitting that life isn’t always easy, that we face challenges, that the world is broken, and that we will all experience love and loss. We are also acknowledging that our belief and faith will keep us strong!
Brian Bartkowiak |
