Buzzed, Briefs, And Badges

1. Buzzed, Briefs, And Badges • Before you buzz that stranger into the building, before they brief you on who they are or why they are there, and before you get their visitor badge ready, consider these tips and strategies on successful visitor controlled access to your building.

2. Gatekeeper • It's ok to say • “no” • “hold on” • “standby” • Why allow them any further into the school building even if they are already in the office?

3. Door & Office Issues • divorced parents • non-custodial in-laws • pedophiles • Beyond a reasonable doubt that they have a legitimate, legal reason to be there

4. Buzzed? • If they are intoxicated (buzzed), impaired or otherwise undesirable, then simply refuse them service and send them on their way (call the police if necessary).

5. Briefs….(quick answers) • Why are they at the door? • Who do they want to see? • Are you expecting them? • Are they a vendor? • Parent? Guardian? • Sales person?

6. Already in the office? • Irate parents • Upset teachers • Injured students

7. De-Escalation Techniques • Have them brief you on what is upsetting them • “All we want are the facts, ma’am”, - Sgt. Joe Friday • Look for the clues, listen for the indicators of what is behind their irritation. • Speak softly

8. Active Listening Skills • We have two ears and one mouth • Just the mere attention to a person’s troubles can help them deal with the stress, annoyance or minor injury (whether physical or emotional).

9. Active Listening Skills • eye contact • paraphrasing or clarifying what they just said • showing empathy (not sympathy) to their struggle. • nodding your head and an occasional “yes” or “I understand”

10. How to win friends… Dale Carnegie: • become genuinely interested in other people • smile • a person’s name is the most beautiful sound to them in any language

11. How to win friends…(cont) • talk in terms of the other person’s interests • see things from the other person’s point of view • make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely

12. Badges • If they have passed your in-depth interrogation, hand them a visitor’s badge and send them on their way. • If they refuse to heed your disarming persona, then it may be time to call in “the Badge.”

13. Badges • Even if your school does not have a SRO, police officers working the street do not mind making contact with you in the school office if there is a situation.

14. “Badge” issues • divorced parents who were screaming over their child • referral to children services • a suspicious package left by an unknown adult for a student • teacher whose soon-to-be ex was threatening to disrupt the school day.

15. Missing Students • If the administrator cannot locate the child in a relatively short amount of time, do not delay in contacting law enforcement. For every hour that child is missing, the chance of getting them reunited with their custodial parent dramatically declines.

16. What can you share? • “Directory Information” • Some policies allow dates of attendance and photo as found in a yearbook • Will not include discipline records, IEP or other diagnoses made strictly for educational purposes.

17. What can Police share? • Previous juvenile arrests • Known associates of the student outside of school • Information on relatives, phone numbers, addresses, etc

18. What can Police do? • At the end of the day, if we have to get the handcuffs out, I rely on what Rookie Jim Reed once said on Adam-12, “You just have to know how to arrest them and still make them like you. We call it technique.”