Allentown School District
Sending your child to school every day should not be a worrisome experience. Every member of Allentown School District's Safety and Security takes our responsibility for the care and keeping of our more than 16,000 students and more than 3,000 teachers, staff, and volunteers very seriously.
To do that, we use technology (CCTV, vape sensors, weapons detectors, etc.) but most importantly need the help of every student, every parent, every teacher, staff, and administrator to be our eyes and ears on and around our campuses. The following are a few tips to assist us in fulfilling Allentown School District’s mission.
Responsibilities
Safety & Security's staff provides professional security services and serves as liaisons with the school resource officers assigned to District schools. Security Officers are committed to enhancing our systems and processes to maintain a safe and secure learning environment.
Safety & Security:
- Responds to calls for service from schools, buses, bus stops, and other district facilities.
- Coordinates law enforcement assignments.
- Provides security at meetings and at special events.
- Develops and implements procedures to ensure a safe school environment.
- Evaluates existing procedures, and safety and security systems to determine their effectiveness and to implement improvements when necessary.
- Conducts regular and random close patrols and directed patrols of schools and district facilities.
- Coordinates and assists with emergency drills at district school campuses and facilities.
- Conducts coordination and emergency planning with local law enforcement, first responders, emergency management, and public safety communication centers.
- Assists law enforcement with criminal investigations and other issues involving the District.
- Assists District offices and schools with safety and security issues/concerns.
- Assists Transportation in maintaining safe and secure transportation for all students riding buses.
- Provides technical assistance and on-going staff training and safety and security procedures and protocols.
- Collaborates with systems engineers and technicians to maintain the security camera systems at all schools and facilities.
- Utilizes the security camera system to identify safety concerns, and to investigate security issues and criminal incidents.
- Provides equipment checks on emergency communications devices.
- Collaborates with Facilities to issue employee and contractor identification badges.
Important Tips
Director of Safety and Security
Rhaheem Blanden
Assistant Director of Safety and Security
Barry Rodenbough
Administrative Assistant
Jennifer Mertus
484-765-4130
* For an Immediate Threat or Emergency: Dial 911
Safe2Say Something is a school safety tool that will save lives
Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” BEFORE it is too late.
Adults and youth are able to report tips anonymously through the Office of Attorney General’s 24/7 Crisis Center (1-844-SAF2SAY (723-2729) or through a mobile app.
The Safe2Say Something app can be downloaded at https://www.safe2saypa.org/download/.
Here’s how it works
- Submit an anonymous tip report through the Safe2SaySomething system.
- Crisis center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions.
- Crisis center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention.
If needed, crisis center may contact the tipster anonymously through the app.