Safety and Security
Princeton is committed to keeping our students, staff, and community safe.
It’s hard to imagine what our children are thinking about and feeling after hearing about incidents of school violence that have recently taken place in the United States.
In light of these incidents, it seems appropriate to talk about the processes we have in place here in Princeton City School District (PCSD) to keep our students and staff safe every day in our buildings.
We must be ready to respond to any concern or threat at a moment’s notice. We are incredibly fortunate to have a strong partnership with the Police and Fire Departments of Evendale, Glendale, Sharonville, Springdale, Woodlawn Police and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.
As part of that partnership, local law enforcement provides a School Resource Officer (SRO) for each of our middle and high schools, We also have multiple unannounced security visits to our schools monthly. Additionally, we have campus security specialists stationed at our middle and high schools.
The PCSD Safety and Security team monitors our schools and facilities around the clock. They partner with our schools to conduct safety drills, install security cameras and monitoring systems, and review current safety procedures and update them as needed.
Every threat is investigated
Anyone can report a concern or potential threat any time, day or night. It truly takes all of us to keep our students safe! Our students and staff know they can use the Safe School Helpline app on their cell phones. If you are a parent or community member, you can contact the Safe School Helpline® at 1-800-418-6423 ext. 359 or text 66746 then type TIPS or on Safe School Helpline Website
This is an anonymous way to share a concern or potential threat.
The Safe School Helpline® prevents problems.
Listen to concerns and issues in the schools and community. The Helpline allows students, parents, staff and community members to report wrongdoing and illegal activities in schools.
Safe School Helpline® tips are anonymous.
The caller's name is never asked. It takes courage for kids to reach outside their inner circle of friends. Yet, they are overwhelmingly anxious to do so, anonymously, to protect their friends, families, and themselves from retribution. Parents appreciate this too. Additional information can be obtained as a case number is given to the caller, asking them to call back in three school days to respond to their school’s follow-up questions.
The Safe School Helpline® is available 24/7/365.
About 90% of calls are made after school hours. In most cases, the school receives a verbatim transcript of the call the next school day. If urgent, the school officials are contacted immediately, day or night. Calls are handled by one of the largest call centers in the United States.
The Safe School Helpline® is flexible.
Reports can be made via:
Phone: call 800-418-6423 ext. 359 or text 66746, then type TIPS
Free Mobile App is available for Apple and Android phones.
What happens next
When a concern or threat is received, there is an instant response. The PCSD Safety and Security team, in partnership with local law enforcement, immediately launches an investigation. In many cases, the concern or threat is determined to be unfounded or non-credible, meaning there is no concern for the well-being or safety of our students and staff.
There is a lot of work that goes into determining that a concern or threat is unfounded. We are committed to investigating every concern or threat that is brought to our attention. That is our responsibility and our duty - to keep our children safe.
Behind the scenes
School and district administration supports the investigation and prepares parent communication. This takes time. It is nearly impossible to compete with the speed of social media, as we are committed to sharing up-to-date, confirmed and accurate information. We want our parents to know as much about the situation as we are able to share. There are times when we cannot say as much as we would like, as we do not want to jeopardize a law enforcement investigation in any way - especially when it involves the safety of our kids.
But know this: we are committed to keeping our students, staff, and community safe. And we are committed to sharing as much information as we can, as quickly as we can.
It truly takes us all working together to protect our kids. So please remember, if you have a concern, let someone know - whether it is a school administrator, teacher, law enforcement, or the Safe School Helpline®.