OXFORD, Mich. – An investigation into the efficacy of the Oxford High School’s current threat assessment and security protocols has found the plans to be “robust,” but also says there is room for improvement.
Security solutions organization Guidepost Solutions has been hired by the high school to independently investigate the school’s threat assessment, suicide assessment, and security policies before, during, and after the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. The first of two reports was released to the public on Monday, May 8, and only examines the school’s current policies and protocols -- not what was in place prior to the fatal mass shooting.
A second report from Guidepost will specifically look at “the district’s school safety and security policies and practices in place at the time of the shooting; interactions with the shooter before the shooting; [and] actions before, during, and after the shooting,” the first report reads. The second report is expected to come out when their “investigation of those matters is complete.”
In the months following the mass shooting -- in which four students were murdered and seven people were injured -- the district has adopted new policies in an effort to better identify and address concerning and threatening behavior among students. Security protocols have also been stepped up to help prevent violence and the use of weapons.
In its first report, Guidepost states that the Oxford School District’s new threat and suicide assessment protocols are “robust and satisfy best practices, and its practices at times go beyond what is mandated by existing policies and guidelines.” Investigators say the district’s current physical security is appropriate and surpasses that of many U.S. schools.
Still, Guidepost investigators say they found areas in which the district could improve -- though, they also admit that their “recommendations go beyond those normally recommended for educational institutions” due to the violent and tragic nature of the Oxford shooting.
The report released on Monday is broken down into two parts: Part one focuses on threat and suicide assessment, and part two focuses on physical security. We’ll break down some of their findings below (the report is nearly 200 pages long).
The entire 179-page report can be found at the bottom of the article.
Threat, suicide assessment protocols
Investigators were hired to review Oxford High School’s threat and suicide assessment protocols, but because the district creates the policies and protocols for all schools, the review is applicable to the entire district, officials said.
As part of their new policy, Oxford schools have implemented new protocols designed to identify, assess, and manage students who may pose a threat in school in an effort to mitigate such violence. To do so, the report states that the district has adopted a “targeted violence prevention plan” that includes the following eight core principles:
- Establish a multidisciplinary team.
- Define prohibited and concerning behaviors.
- Create a central reporting system.
- Define the threshold for law enforcement intervention.
- Establish threat assessment procedures.
- Develop intervention options.
- Create and promote safe school climates.
- Conduct training for all stakeholders.
The report breaks down what each of these principles entails, and says that overall, the protocols are robust and effective. However, due to this new plan, counselors and staff members involved in the protocols are reportedly struggling to provide the “needed guidance and academic support to students given the heavy shift of their workload to participating in and conducting threat assessments.”
The district is conducting 300% more threat assessments than other districts of the same size, investigators say. More threat assessments are taking place because the district reportedly has a low threshold for what they consider “concerning conduct” that renders an assessment.
Guidepost suggests that the schools focus their threat assessments on conduct that is clearly threatening, saying that many assessments examine conduct that “transparently is not a threat.” By carrying out a high volume of threat assessments with a low threshold, investigators say staff members can’t properly allocate time to “more serious matters deserving closer scrutiny.”
When it comes to threat and suicide assessments, investigators made several suggestions for improvement, including (but not limited to):
- Involving the district police officer in every threat assessment.
- Documenting when inquiries are made about a student’s weapon access.
- Providing threat assessment training to more staff (teachers, bus drivers, coaches, etc.) rather than just counselors and administrators.
- Updating existing forms to align with new assessment practices.
- Limiting full threat assessments to issues that are more serious.
Physical security analysis
Following the Oxford shooting, the high school ramped up its physical security efforts -- though investigators do note that the school was working to establish stronger physical security even before the shooting.
Today, the high school has physical security measures in place that include:
- An AI weapons screening system that detects firearms and large knives.
- Badge access requirements at points of entry.
- Armed security present during school hours, with an increased presence at large events.
- A “robust” video surveillance system.
- The locking of school doors after students arrive. Certain doors set off alarms to notify staff.
- The use of Nightlock door barricading equipment.
- The placement of window shades or covers to limit visibility from the outside.
The report says that the school is currently working to install a mass notification system in case of an emergency that would utilize speakers and light strobes.
Guidepost says the physical security at Oxford High School is impressive, but could still be improved.
For example, the report references limitations with the school’s PA system, saying there are areas where the system can’t be heard well, including in the courtyard or in the auditorium when a crowd is present. Guidepost says to consider limiting access to such areas until the new mass notification system has been installed.
Other suggestions include:
- Reinstating school safety drills for students.
- Require ALICE shooter preparedness training for all school personnel, including part-time and volunteer staff.
- Improve window laminates.
- Remove “non-functional panic buttons.”
- Remove fenced area in locker rooms.
“An educational institution can invest considerable resources in security measures, but when a staff member, student, contractor, or visitor props a door open, all onsite are vulnerable,” the report reads. “The educational community must put safety and security at the forefront of its operations.”
Read the full report here
The 179-page report goes way more in depth for each part, breaking down concepts, areas of concern, areas of improvement, methodology and more. You can read that full report below.
Note: Guidepost says that information that could pose a danger to the school community has been left out of the public report.
Related reading: When will the Oxford High School shooter be sentenced?