3 Reasons To Have Professional Security Guards Chaperone Your School Dances

If you are a school administrator and are planning your students' next school dance, then you should consider having one or more private security guards chaperone the event.

When you enlist the help of fully trained security personnel to chaperone your school's after-hours activities, your staff members can relax during these times while trained professionals work hard to keep your students, staff, and guests safe.

Read on to learn three additional reasons school administrators should have fully trained security guards at all school dances.

1. Combat Potential Underage Consumption

One problem that continues to plague school administrators is underage alcohol consumption at school dances. Students may sneak small bottles of alcohol into events, show up already intoxicated, or even sneak in alcohol-spiked beverages that they plan to share with other students.

In fact, some schools have had to resort to canceling all school dances to avoid the hazards of underage consumption, while others have purchased their own breathalyzers to test students' blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) as they enter the buildings where dances are held.

When you have trained security officers at your school dances, these officers can watch for the signs of intoxication in students that staff members may miss. In addition, these officers can watch for beverages that may contain alcohol, confiscate and test them on sight, take steps to determine who snuck the alcohol in, and notify school personnel of the results of their investigations.

2. Have a Professional on Hand to Prevent Fights and Other Student Violence

During the year 2019, a survey of students in grades 9 through 12 revealed that 22 percent of these high school students had been involved in a physical fight with another person during the last 12 months. In addition, about 8 percent of these students admitted to being involved in fights on school property.

While fights in schools do not always cause serious injuries, children and staff members can become seriously injured during these fights. If a student or staff member is seriously injured during a fight that occurs on school grounds, your school administration could be held liable for their injuries in certain instances.

When you have trained security officers at your school dances, you can feel confident that any student fight that does break out will be controlled quickly before serious injuries occur. In addition, your staff members can feel safer when they know they are less likely to have to break up a fight and possibly get injured.

3. Perform a Weapon and Contraband Check at the Door

Unfortunately, school administrators today also have to worry about the potential for severe violence in schools, including shootings. Several large-scale school shooting incidents have occurred throughout the country in recent years and, according to The National Association of School Resource Officers, at least 97 gun-related incidents occurred in schools in the U.S. in the months of August and September 2021.

Some school administrators have installed metal detectors outside of building entrances to help staff screen students for gun possession and for other metal weapons before they enter. However, experts state that students can sneak guns through these metal detectors, especially when an armed security guard is not monitoring the students passing through them.

In addition, the presence of metal detectors can greatly affect student morale. Metal detectors can also be very expensive, making their installation cost-prohibitive for many school districts.

You do not need metal detectors at school entrances to check students for the possession of guns and other weapons when you have a professional security guard present who can perform these tasks to help keep students and staff safe from the repercussions of gun violence.

If you are a school administrator planning a school dance for your students, then consider having professional security guards chaperone the dance to help keep students and staff members safe and sober during this after-hours activity.

Contact the security experts at All Star Security for all of your school security officer needs today.