NORTHVILLE, Mich. (WXYZ) — Police and school leaders in Northville came together to brainstorm ways to keep students safe. They came up with an idea they hope will help ensure that in an emergency, first responders can get there as soon as possible.
Northville Public Schools Superintendent Dr. RJ Webber decided the key to avoiding delays is keys. Thursday, the district gave keys to the three police jurisdictions that cover the Northville Public Schools District for all police to carry. They include Northville, Northville Township and Novi.
“In an old-school way, there might just be a box where you can get a key. In a building that is 600,000 square feet, if any of these folks are responding or their people are responding, we don’t want any delay for them to enact their training,” Webber said as he stood in front of the large Northville High School.
Northville Township Police Chief Scott Hilden said, “The men and women of all of these departments are committed to the safety of these students. And there would be nothing more frustrating than being at that front door and not being able to get in.”
Hilden says local police have trained on solo response tactics to an active shooter to respond as quickly as possible if ever needed.
“Having the ability to get in the building immediately could save a life,” Northville Township School Resource Officer Mike Brown said.
There are also plans to provide keys to firefighters. You might wonder if having so many keys out there is a security risk.
School leaders say they have a system for tracking them and can deactivate a key immediately if it is lost.
School starts in the district on Tuesday.
