THE GAZETTE
Page A-6
Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo
Parents in county say schools are safer Officials enhance security measures to help prevent active shooter incidents n
BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
In the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the Mall in Columbia that left three dead, including the gunman, Prince George’s parents say schools are better protected as officials continue efforts to increase student safety. “I feel we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” said Rex Barrett, Prince George’s County Public Schools’ acting director of security services. Barrett said a new visitor identification system will be installed in all school offices by the start of the 2014-2015 school year. Additionally, Barrett said electronic entry controls and panic buttons have been installed in 60 of the county’s 204 schools and that the remainder will have such security systems by the start of the next school year. School officials say they hope their efforts will help prevent a mass shoot-
ing similar to Saturday’s incident. Darien Aguilar, 19, of College Park, opened fire in the Mall of Columbia on Saturday, killing two before committing suicide, according to the Prince George’s Police Department. Ernest Moore, Prince George’s County PTA council president, said the school system has put in place new procedures to ensure that doors are not left unlocked and that visitors must come to the main entrance. “A lot of schools have a new camera, so they can see who’s buzzing in,” Moore said. “You hear about these incidents in other parts of the country, but when it happens in your backyard, it reminds you that this is a universal thing, and these events can happen anywhere.” Moore said the PGCPTAC also reminds parents and students not to leave school doors propped open, or to let strangers into the building. “We have a Prince George’s police department officer assigned to the school and a new security system, and a lot of cameras, so I really believe we’ve got a lot of security,” said Steffanie Jackson of Upper Marlboro, parent of a student at Frederick Douglass High School
in Upper Marlboro. Abraham Ajenifuja, president of the High Point High School PTSA in Beltsville and parent of a student at the school, said he feels that the Beltsville school is “very safe.” “We have a new security system now. No one can just walk in like they used to,” Ajenifuja said. “You have to go to the main door to get buzzed in.” David Gardiner, dean of students at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, said officials have been proactive in their security preparations. Gardiner helped draft the school’s crisis management plan, and helped arrange an active shooter drill in December 2012 with the Hyattsville Police Department during a regular school day, with students role playing the parts of victims and innocent bystanders. “Our students are very well prepared because we drill this into them continuously,” Gardiner said. Gardiner said the school also has security cameras, automatic locks on doors and maintains a close relationship with local law enforcement. Prince George’s police conducted an active shooter drill at High Point on July 19 to help prepare for the scenario,
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Prince George’s County police recruits, pretending to be students, run from a mock school shooting on July 19 at High Point High School in Beltsville. The police department hosted a joint active shooter to better prepare for the incident and to test strategy effectiveness. police officials said. PGCPS also holds yearly active shooter drills with law enforcement and other first responders in the summer as well as lockdown drills four times during the school year. “The reality is, it could happen
anywhere, so we drill during class, we drill during lunchtime, we drill during arrival and during departures,” Barrett said. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
POLICE BLOTTER This activity report is provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department as a public service to the community and is not a complete listing of all events and crime reported.
District 2 Headquarters, Bowie, 301-3902100 Glenn Dale, Kettering, Lanham, Largo, Seabrook, Woodmore, Lake Arbor, Mitchellville and Upper Marlboro.
JAN. 20 Commercial property breakin, 9400 block Lanham Severn
Road, 2:38 a.m.
Vehicle stolen, 3500 block St. Johns Place, 6:28 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 9800 block Good Luck Road, 7:17 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 9800 block Good Luck Road, 7:49 a.m. Vehicle stolen and recovered,
9400 block Lanham Severn Road, 9:24 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 10200 block Prince Place, 9:32 a.m. Robbery, 800 block Largo Center Drive, 12:02 p.m. Theft, 16300 block Heritage Blvd, 12:59 p.m. Theft, 15600 block Everglade Lane, 2:42 p.m. Theft, 14500 block London Lane, 2:45 p.m. Theft, 8900 block Walkerton Drive, 4:53 p.m.
JAN. 21 Commercial property break-in,
3500 block Crain Highway Nw, 3:02 a.m. Vehicle stolen and recovered,
8500 block Greenbelt Road, 7:03 a.m. Theft, 3300 block Lottsford Vista Road, 9:05 a.m. Vehicle stolen and recovered,
9400 block Lanham Severn Road, 9:25 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 8500 block
Greenbelt Road, 11:46 a.m. Theft, 7900 block Wingate Drive, 12:42 p.m. Break-in, 9800 block Dolby Ave, 12:49 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 10100 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 1:40 p.m. Theft, 10400 block Campus Way, 5:36 p.m.
JAN. 22 Vehicle stolen, 9000 block
Harness Way, 10:48 a.m. Theft, 12700 block Marquette Lane, 11:49 a.m. Theft, 800 block Capital Center Blvd, 2:20 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 1000 block Falls Lake Drive, 2:36 p.m. Theft, 15900 block Excalibur Road, 5:06 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 3500 block Madonna Lane, 6:10 p.m. Theft, 15500 block Emerald Way, 6:32 p.m. Residential break-in, 9700 block Good Luck Road, 7:23 p.m.
JAN. 23
JAN. 24 Vehicle stolen, 1200 block Stockport Court, 6:54 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 13200 block Anthem Greenfields Drive, 7:41 a.m. Vehicle stolen and recovered,
Firethorn Court/Joyceton Drive, 10:51 a.m. Theft, 2800 block Campus Way N, 12:15 p.m. Residential break-in, 5400 block Marshalls Choice Drive, 12:31 p.m. Theft, 15200 block Hall Road, 1:38 p.m. Vehicle stolen and recovered,
6200 block Brightlea Drive, 2:07 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 9100 block Flemming Road, 4:48 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 9100 block Flemming Road, 5:22 p.m. Theft, 9800 block Lake Pointe Court, 7:51 p.m.
Robbery on commercial property, 10400 block Campus Way S,
8:41 p.m.
Theft, 2700 block Beech Or-
chard Lane, 10:47 p.m.
Commercial property break-in,
4400 block Mitchellville Road, 2:29 a.m. Commercial property break-in,
2400 block Crain Highway Nw, 8:43 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 3600 block Seth Court, 9:25 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 800 block Shoppers Way, 9:50 a.m. Theft, 3300 block Marchwood Place, 9:53 a.m. Theft, 3300 block Winterbourne Drive, 11:30 a.m. Residential break-in, 4000 block Hobart Court, 3:42 p.m. Theft, 3200 block Sage Lane, 4:08 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 800 block Shoppers Way, 4:24 p.m. Theft, 14600 block London Lane, 4:36 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 9000 block Lanham Severn Road, 5:36 p.m.
JAN. 25 Vehicle stolen, 1000 block Winged Foot Drive, 1:20 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 4400 block Saddle River Drive, 7:03 a.m. Theft, 7000 block 96th Place, 9:01 a.m. Theft, 600 block Crain Highway Sw, 9:04 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 8400 block Greenbelt Road, 9:40 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 8400 block Greenbelt Road, 9:58 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 5100 block John Rogers Blvd, 3:56 p.m. Theft, 3200 block Shekhar Court, 4:59 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 1200 block Golf Course Drive, 6:46 p.m. Theft, 1300 block Pennypacker Lane, 8:31 p.m. Residential break-in, 9500 block Tuckerman St., 11:17 p.m.
ONLINE For additional police blotters, visit www.gazette.net
JAN. 26 Vehicle stolen, 5600 block Whitfield Chapel Road, 1:11 p.m. Theft from vehicle, Nb Crain Highway Se At Marlboro Pike, 1:25 p.m. Theft, 16000 block Annapolis Road, 3:55 p.m. Theft, 800 block Shoppers Way, 5:34 p.m. Assault, 5600 block Whitfield Chapel Road, 7:20 p.m.
District 3 Headquarters, Palmer Park, 301-772-4900. Chapel Oaks, Cheverly, Glenarden, Fairmount Heights, Kentland, Landover, Palmer Park, Seat Pleasant, Forestville, Suitland, District Heights and Capitol Heights.
JAN. 20 Vehicle stolen, 800 block Rachel Court, 6:10 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 7200 block Flagstaff St., 7:04 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 2500 block Oak Glen Way, 7:23 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 6700 block Marlboro Pike, 9:22 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 7800 block Barlowe Road, 11:22 a.m. Theft, 1600 block Willowood Court, 11:47 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 500 block Ritchie Road, 12:25 p.m. Residential break-in, 3400 block Dodge Park Road, 3:42 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 100 block West Mill Ave, 5:45 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 3300 block Donnell Drive, 7:01 p.m. Assault, 7700 block Burnside Road, 7:32 p.m.
Theft, 3000 block Victory Lane, 8:41 p.m. Theft, 4600 block Addison Road, 9:43 p.m. Theft, 1900 block Rochell Ave, 10:24 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 4400 block Covington St., 10:32 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 6600 block Hansford St., 11:51 p.m.
JAN. 21 Theft from vehicle, 7500 block Winlaton Court, 4:26 a.m.
Commercial property break-in,
9100 block Central Ave, 5:04 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 900 block Bending Branch Way, 5:42 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 100 block Hampton Park Blvd, 5:49 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 6400 block Elmhurst St., 6:53 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 1900 block Brooks Drive, 9:00 a.m. Theft from vehicle, Benning Road/Wb Marlboro Pike, 9:42 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 8500 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 10:02 a.m. Theft from vehicle, Nb Martin Luther King Jr Highway/Eb Sheriff, 10:32 a.m. Theft, 7600 block Barlowe Road, 11:48 a.m. Theft, 4700 block Quadrant St., 12:36 p.m. Theft, 8300 block Ardwick Ardmore Road, 1:24 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 7200 block G St., 2:28 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 5800 block L St., 3:26 p.m. Robbery, 4100 block Southern Ave, 5:41 p.m. Robbery, Addison Road South/Flag Harbour Drive, 8:58 p.m. Robbery, Shady Glen Drive/ Gould Drive, 9:05 p.m. Assault, 4800 block Blk Marlboro Pike, 10:24 p.m.
JAN. 22 Vehicle stolen, 4100 block Southern Ave, 5:29 a.m.
Theft from vehicle, 4900 block Marlboro Pike, 7:40 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 3100 block 75th Ave, 8:08 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 7100 block East Cedar St., 10:40 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 1400 block Ritchie Marlboro Road, 11:20 a.m. Theft, 200 block Unicorn Place, 11:27 a.m. Theft, 7600 block Barlowe Road, 12:13 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 6000 block Beacon Hill Place, 1:01 p.m. Theft, 6700 block West Forest Road, 2:34 p.m. Theft, 8300 block Ardwick Ardmore Road, 2:48 p.m. Assault with a weapon, 3700 block Donnell Drive, 3:14 p.m. Robbery on commercial property, 4100 block Southern Ave,
4:29 p.m.
Theft from vehicle, 1300 block Farmingdale Ave, 5:20 p.m.
Robbery on commercial property, 3300 block Walters Lane,
5:42 p.m.
Robbery, Addison Road/ Eastern Ave, 7:46 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 3100 block Lakehurst Ave, 8:32 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 3400 block Regency Pky, 10:19 p.m.
JAN. 23 Vehicle stolen, 7100 block Mahogany Drive, 7:00 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 6400 block Seat Pleasant Drive, 7:16 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 6100 block Hil Mar Drive, 7:22 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 1400 block Ritchie Marlboro Road, 8:09 a.m.
Vehicle stolen and recovered, 1700 block Ritchie Station
Court, 8:09 a.m.
Residential break-in, 6300 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 9:57 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 3400 block Jeff Road, 10:14 a.m.
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