Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/107698
ESProfessional Q&A with a Campus Safety Supervisor In light of school safety in the news, the AEA Advocate recently asked Maryvale High School Safety Supervisor Robert Zamora a few questions about campus security and the work security personnel do to keep schools safe. ESP Action Be sure to check out these other stories for more opportunities to get involved and take action. 6 2013 AEA Legislative Agenda 7 Arizona Legislature Needs to Support Public Schools' Safety Programs 29 Vote Online for NEA-RA Delegates How did you become interested in security and school safety? I've always wanted to give back to schools. My father was in the military, and I followed in his footsteps, but I felt that there was a greater need as I saw different crimes being committed at schools. I saw drug and gang activity increasing in schools, and so at some point I thought I was better served by using my education background and training to safeguard schools than the society as a whole because here's where our needs are in safeguarding our kids and ensuring that they achieve a real heartfelt education. I've been doing this for a long time and I sat on two different school boards. I currently sit as president of the school board for Alhambra elementary school, and I am past president and eight-year member of the Isaac elementary school board. I focus a lot on education. How long have you been in this career field? I was with the military and then with the sheriff's office, and then after that I've been here for 16 years. So I focused all of my efforts on safeguarding schools and making a safe environment for teachers, staff, and students. I care a lot about kids, and so I've gone through a lot of training, and I've spent a lot of my own money to get that training. Spring.13advo.indd 14 What training or education do you have related to security? I have a B.S. in criminal justice and an M.A. in business and organizational security management with homeland security emphasis. I am an active graduate out of the Delinquency Control Institute of the University of Southern California, and I have national certified soft targets training out of University of Las Vegas. I am a certified campus safety professional, School Resource Officer (SRO) certified, and SRO Advanced certified and criteria certified. I can do analytical studies as far as safety on campuses, what their needs are and how to fix those needs. I'm also Train the Trainer certified, and I train all of my own staff as well as those across Phoenix Unified School District. I do training sessions for teachers as well as staff. Those topics include report writing, investigations, interviewing and interrogations, different things like that so that we can find the different things that are going on in the school district. My staff and I also go through security procedures and lockdown instructions for students and teachers. What makes a school safe? I think there are three tiers to it. One is you have to have people on the front line. So it's that first line of protection and that's going to be the perception. Perception is everything. People on the outside need to see the deterrents there – people in uniform that are trained, that look sure of their training, and that feel like an authority figure. Someone that is going to ask you where you're going, who you're going to see, what your business is here, and at all 14 Spring 2013 x AEA Advocate 1/29/13 10:53 AM