Ballou will get police patrols

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By

D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams has approved a security plan for Ballou High School that would include armed police officers patrolling inside the building, X-ray machines to inspect all bags and packages, and secure doors that would remain locked except in an emergency.

The plan, prepared by Metropolitan Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey and released yesterday at the mayor's weekly news briefing, comes in response to the Feb. 2 fatal shooting of James Richardson in the cafeteria at Ballou High School. Another student has been charged in the slaying.

"Our concept as we move forward will be to individually assess the security needs of our schools on a case-by-case basis and design and implement security plans that will work and will fit with each school," Mr. Williams said. "Now we're starting with Ballou, but we're not stopping after Ballou."

The plan, which Mr. Williams described as "custom-designed" for the Southeast high school of 1,097 students, will include up to 30 police officers and security guards patrolling the building in a combination of fixed and roving patrols during school days. The 24 security guards, six police officers and one school investigator called for in the plan will be under the command of a police sergeant.

Two police resource officers already are stationed at Ballou, and Chief Ramsey said four other officers will be drawn from some of the department's youth programs.

Previously, 10 to 12 security guards and two police resource officers were assigned to Ballou.

"This is only until we've re-established control of the school and we've created a safe environment," Chief Ramsey said.

"This is not something we're proposing to maintain over the long term, but it is a template that can be used at other schools that have similar problems to Ballou."