You may have seen armed police officers at our school campus, but who are they and what exactly do they do?

The Safety Team, led by Ms. Judith Bakenhus, is a group of officers and campus aids who ensure the school’s safety by following procedures and protocols on a daily basis. The Safety Team checks the bathrooms, watches the gates and patrols the campus to ensure that the school’s faculty members and students remain safe.

The Safety Team stays in frequent contact with each other. The team uses the radio walkie system in order to communicate and patrol the school efficiently.

In the case of a natural disaster or safety threat, the team does various things to maintain calmness throughout the school. Specifically, the members undergo training and make sure that the faculty and students are aware of the issue.

“We try to get resources outside of school, such as from police departments that give us feedback from outside,” campus aid Joe Avila said.   

If there is an active shooter on campus, the Safety Team will lock down the school and make sure that nobody enters or leaves the campus. In a classroom situation, the team takes the precaution to make sure the doors are locked and usher students who are outside in the nearest classroom.

A shooting occurred on Van Nuys Blvd. on Sept. 20 and resulted in the lockdown of CHAMPS Charter High School. Although the shooting occurred near Van Nuys Highl, the campus did not go in a lockdown and classes remained in session.

The Safety Team ensured the safety of students and faculty staff by patrolling the campus.

“We didn’t go on lockdown because we were informed that it was already taken care of,” Avila said. “They knew where the suspects were at, but we were still very vigilant about anyone coming in.”

Although there have been few threats throughout the year, the Safety Team has resolved the issues.