The Ottawa Carleton District School Board says it will wait to hear more from Premier Dalton McGuinty about his plan to tighten security at Ontario schools after the mass murder in Newtown, Connecticut of 20 children
McGuinty said in a morning announcement that the government would make more money available to schools to increase security but that he wouldn't support turning schools into fortresses with boarded-up windows. He said he wants a "locked door" policy at all elementary schools in Ontario starting in September.
Only about 850 of the 4,000 elementary schools in the province took advantage of a provincial program to install video cameras outside school doors, but that was meant for buildings where the entrance was not in clear view of the door. The Ottawa public board has 20 schools using surveillance cameras
McGuinty says it should cost about $10 million to equip all elementary schools by the start of classes next fall with video cameras to make entrances more secure.
A board spokesperson told CTV Ottawa, "Once there are more specific details available from the Ministry, we will determine the appropriate course of action for our school district"
The Ottawa public board says surveillance cameras are just one part of a security plan, that includes training and a safe school culture. . They also say they practice lockdowns at least twice a year at each school, and have partnerships with police.
