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Monitoring and protecting 352 schools across nearly 2,000 square miles is no simple task, but for the men and women of the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department (MDSPD), it’s an everyday occurrence.
As the law enforcement arm of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), the MDSPD has 468 sworn police officers, with one assigned at each school site throughout the district.
Our officers familiarize themselves with the school layout and the surrounding neighborhoods. Building rapport and promoting healthy relationships with the students and staff, our officers are a true resource to the entire school community.
The enormous responsibility of safeguarding these facilities extends beyond each school site. Every single day, our Police Command Center (PCC) monitors 18,000 security cameras throughout the district and serves as the nucleus of our intelligence-led policing strategy.
The PCC greatly improves our ability to identify, assess, and respond to all threats and emergencies. Our personnel monitor cameras in real-time at every school site, as well as the Raptor Visitor Management System, which screens individuals visiting schools, the ShotSpotter system (microphones in targeted areas linked to a computer network) and GPS technology equipped on all 998 M-DCPS school buses.
Like all police agencies, the increase in the number of school shootings nationwide is a growing concern for the district and the MDSPD.
Over the summer months, the MDSPD conducted four comprehensive active-shooter drills at local high schools in preparation for the new school year. These large-scale drills, which involved several student actors posing as assailants and victims, were the result of months of planning. Our officers trained to work efficiently with emergency medical teams responding to “injured” victims, all in a tumultuous environment with lights flashing and sirens blaring in the background.
During these drills, district administrators, teachers and staff also were able to gain a true understanding of the chaos and urgency should they ever experience this type of event.
These drills involved collaboration with school administrators, teachers, Miami-Dade County Police, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and local hospitals.
SaferWatch, a mobile panic-alert app, also known as “Alyssa’s Alert,” allows school administrators, staff and teachers to immediately notify first responders in the event of an active assailant incident and warn school staff when the alert has originated from their school campus.
Students also play a significant role in keeping our schools safe. Under our “See Something, Say Something” initiative, students are advised to act immediately if they see someone with a weapon, or if they witness suspicious behavior that could endanger students or staff at their school. Contacting a teacher, administrator or staff member in these cases is the best way for students to keep our schools safe.
Parents who need to report suspicious or threatening activity also can notify a School Resource Officer or contact the MDSPD directly at 305-757-7708 or 305-995-COPS for any non-emergency questions or concerns.
We want all parents to feel confident in knowing that the officers of the MDSPD are on the job, ready to protect our students, teachers and staff from any threat, every single day of the school year.
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