Quick response to elementary school break-in highlights SPS 24-hour security features

When it comes to student’s safety, Springfield Public Schools says it’s a top priority.

A concept we saw come into play on Wednesday when three teens broke into Wilder Elementary and before they could exit out of a small window, police were waiting for them. They knew exactly where they were located and even what they looked like.

That’s because SPS has an advance security system put into place with around the clock surveillance on the inside and outside of each school. When those teens broke in, it triggered an alarm and the person on security duty was able to get the police involved quickly.

“We’re very pleased with how it happened,” Stephen Hall, Chief Communications for SPS, tells KY3.

“From the individuals that set the alarms every evening when the building is no longer occupied to the school police dispatch officer who was proactive when those alarms were triggered. They immediately followed up. Accessed the situation and called in law enforcement support. And responded very quickly. We believed that this worked seamlessly.”

These sorts of responses are in place if an emergency happened during the school day too. It’s something that has helped ease parents’ concerns as they drop their kids off at school each day.

“Knowing that my kids are in a school where reaction time like that is so quick--gives me peace of mind,” a Wilder Elementary parent, Lindsay Hyde, tells KY3.