APS School Site Security
Implementing Security Needs in Albuquerque Public Schools
District Overview
Albuquerque Public Schools:
- Largest school district in New Mexico
- Serving over 70,000 students
- Over 13,000 employees
Compromised of:
- 84 Elementary schools
- 27 Middle schools
- 13 Traditional high schools
- 3 K-8th Grade schools
- 18 Schools of choice/magnet
- 33 APS chartered schools
- 24 State chartered schools
Physcial Assets:
- Over 17 million square feet of facilities in approximately 1,800 buildings
Includes all or portions of the following 14 jurisdictions:
- Bernalillo County
- Sandoval County
- City of Albuquerque
- Village of Corrales
- Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque
- Village of Tijeras
- Village of San Antonito
- Village of Edgewood
- Sandia Pueblo
- Laguna Pueblo
- To'Hajiilee
- Isleta Pueblo
- Chilili
- Atrisco Land Grant
Use the button below to find out information about all APS schools and facilities:
Family Emotional Health
APS Student Family and Community Supports Division (SFCS) provides a district response to school security issues related to student social and emotional health and well-being.
In School Year 2021-2022, SFCS provided the following services to Albuquerque Public Schools:
- 697 Threat assessments
- 857 Suicide assessments
- 7,450 Health and Wellness team referrals
- 65 Community mental health providers in APS schools provided 14,117 student therapeutic contacts (data does not include all of May 2022 contacts).
- Over 44 DSMART (District Stress Management and Risk Reduction Team) deployments
SFCS provides counseling services to APS employees through the Employee Assistance Program.
SFCS provides student intervention programs related to:
- Attendance
- Counseling
- Nursing
- Drug intervention
- Health and Wellness
SFCS coordinates with School Police and the Security Assessment & Implementation Committee (SAIC) in the creation of site safety plans for all schools.
School Climate
What is School Climate? School climate refers to the quality and character of school life, and is based upon patterns of students', parents', and school personnel's experience of school life and reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures.
When people work together, a process emerges that is larger than any one person's actions. How we feel about being in school within these larger concepts shapes the students' development and educational experience. A positive school climate is the product of a school's attention to fostering safety; promoting a supportive academic, disciplinary, and physical environment; and encouraging and maintaining respectful, trusting, caring relationships throughout the school community no matter the setting. School climate is critically related to school success and at APS we take a comprehensive approach to addressing the student's educational experience through the following:
- Restorative Practices
- Social and Emotional Learning
- Behavior Redirection
- Peer Helpers and Suicide Prevention
- Bullying Prevention
Restorative Practices within APS: Albuquerque Public Schools utilizes restorative practices to build community and promote healthy relationships among educators and students in order to teach the social-emotional and conflict-resolution skills necessary to reduce conflict. "
For more information see below.
Social and Emotional Learning within APS: is a deeply ingrained part of the way students and adults interact both in the classroom and out of it, and helps provide children with equitable, supportive, and welcoming learning environments. Social-emotional learning is promoted across multiple contexts every day and is the process through which both students and teachers feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
For more information see below.
Behavior Redirection within APS: is an inclusive practice available to every student on campus. Redirection is not punitive; instead the focus is to provide the student with clear, logical alternatives, or choices, that can affect positive changes in the student’s behavior. The Behavior Redirection Program works in conjunction with existing school and classroom behavior management plans to provide support for students who are in need of more specific planning for appropriate behavior, and for classroom teachers by offering an additional option in the classroom management plan.
For more information see below.
Peer Helpers and Suicide Prevention within APS: APS was awarded a grant from Bernalillo County's Behavioral Health Initiative. This grant funds the extra-curricular APS Peer Helpers Program at 21 APS schools. 21 schools have one (or two) adult sponsors who are trained in suicide prevention, positive youth development, and peer-helping skills.
Students at the 21 APS sites nominate other students who they see as honest, trustworthy, and caring. The nominated students are invited to join the APS Peer Helpers Program, based on the premise that when young people have problems, they most often turn to friends for help, and within every school, an informal “helping network” exists. APS Peer Helper Programs are student led.
For more information see below.
Bullying Prevention within APS: focuses on teaching students how to compromise, solve problems, and come to an aggreement when there is a conflict. Where as with bullying there is nothing to work out becuase the bully is choosing to deliberatly target another person, and so APS works to prevent bullying through counseling lessons that are incorporated into classroom curriculum, school assemblies, daily announcements, school posters, and the No Bullying Pledge.
For more information see below.
Integrated Security Systems Project (ISSP)
The Integrated Security Systems Project (ISSP) is the standardization, alignment, coordination and consolidation of all hardware, equipment, and systems for the Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department.
This project includes the following:
- Fire Evacuation and Emergency Maps
- Secured, monitored entry vestibule
- Card access control systems
- Entry/exit locks for all classrooms
- Comprehensive site perimeter security fencing
- Fire Alarm Panels
- Security Alarms
- Security Cameras
- Integration of alarms systems and security cameras with APS Police Command Center Dispatch
- Police Radios
- Police Body Camera oversight tools
- Police Dispatch, including:
- Equipment and Hardware including computers, monitors, servers, phones, headsets, consoles, etc.
- Software, including computer aided dispatch software and storage of camera footage
- Card access (universal standard protocol) for all district schools & facilities
- Provision for the long-term maintenance of security hardware districtwide
- Web-based online technical applications for the distribution of floor plans and site security data to emergency first responders (fire, police and emergency medical technicians)
Currently, all emergency infrastructure in use throughout the APS district has been upgraded to systems which are either compatible and inter-operable or are in the process of being converted to inter-operability. Older analog platforms have been converted or replaced with Digital Phone (VOIP), Digital Camera, and Security Alarm Systems. All systems within the District have been converted to automatically relay information to centralized APS Police Command Center Dispatch.
Completion of ISSP Project includes:
- Physical consolidation of dispatch, fire, alarms, and cameras to the NEW Command Center Facility (Testing Warehouse-Lincoln Complex) adjacent to the APS Data Center (New Dispatch/alarms/monitoring center) Complete.
- Equipment Consolidation and development of a protocol for use/security of this equipment. Complete.
- Backup Power Supply for Critical District Infrastructure New Dispatch Center has all electrical power systems connected to current data center grid with back up battery and generator power. Complete.
- Inter-Operable Emergency Response Infrastructure New dispatch center is compatible with all current APS IT data/power/ hardware. Complete.
Goals of ISSP:
- Enact Lockdown/Shelter in Place while being able to Hear and See in the school during a crisis event
- Consistent & Ongoing maintenance on implemented District security systems.
- Provide Consistency in equipment and protocols implemented districtwide
- Emergency maps which are comprehensive, standardized, and compatible with all fire and safety codes currently in use
Security Assessment & Implementation Committee (SAIC)
The Security Assessment & Implementation Committee (SAIC) is an interdepartmental committee that facilitates the implementation, standardization, alignment, coordination and consolidation of APS security systems and policies comprising the APS Integrated Security System Project (ISSP).
SAIC is comprised of leadership and functional experts from the following APS departments:
- APS Capital Master Plan (CMP) – Comprehensive Assessment compilation, future projected needs, prioritization, interdepartmental coordination revenue stream allocation and utilization, prioritization, analysis, & revenue stream (budget)
- School Police – Comprehensive law enforcement of the APS district in keeping with restorative justice principles including Security Monitoring (security alarms and surveillance cameras), threat assessment, emergency management, and emergency resources dispatch
- Student, Family & Community Support Services- Student & Employee wellness including counselling, suicide mitigation, nursing & mental health intervention/wellness
- FD&C/Special Projects – Architectural Design & Construction, site facility security vestibule construction, design & installation, fencing and gate design
- IT – Technology including connectivity, data fidelity & cyber security
- M&O – Facility/site maintenance including fencing, fields, & playgrounds, electrical and HVAC
- Risk Management – Insurance liability & risk management
The SAIC committee performs the tasks of prioritizing and implementing all district security projects that fall within these categories:
- Cameras and Alarms Systems
- Card Access
- Door Locks
- Fencing and Gates
- Security Vestibules
These projects are completed through the following three processes:
- Security Hardware & Protocol Implementation
- Installation and maintenance of hardware categories within the APS Integrated Security Systems Project (ISSP) listed above
- Clearinghouse for all security hardware implementation and requests
Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter & Evacuate (ALICE)
ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. It is a proactive response to a violent intruder in a school or public setting. Everyone is taught and encouraged to react in a way that gives them the best opportunity to survive a violent intruder attack.
They utilize the acronym to alert others of the situation (who, where, how) and either lock and barricade themselves in a safe room or evacuate the premises depending on the information they are able to obtain and give out.
ALICE is viewed as a proactive method to empower teachers and staff to make a decision that would give them the best opportunity to survive should a violent incident occur at their school/site.
ALICE replaces the previously widely adapted protocol of 'Shelter-in-place' that was automatically implemented for every lockdown call but has now been deemed as responsible for higher casualty rates during mass shootings by inadvertently turning victims into proverbial 'sitting ducks.'
Comprehensive Tools
As a component of the Integrated Security Systems Project (ISSP), the following are resources for the implementation and operation of school site security hardware and standards for school site administrators & APS School Police, which include the usage of school site safety plans, ALICE protocol, fire/emergency evacuation plans, card access, vestibules/A-Phone, door locks, fencing, gates, security cameras and alarm systems.
Hardware and Standards
As the final result of the ISSP project, all APS Facilities have as standard installation the following critical security infrastructure:
Security Funding & Implementation Update
Summary of Estimated Costs by Category
Contacts
For any inquiries, please contact: aps-security@aps.edu