PASS Publishes White Paper: Enhancing School Safety Through Effective Visitor Management Systems

By Guy Grace, K-12 National Security Program Manager, ASSA ABLOY

Today, robust visitor management systems (VMS) – or visitor badging systems – are essential for efficient visitor control and a secure learning environment. To optimize security, schools must implement entrance policies that – at the very least – include requiring driver’s licenses and issuing temporary name badges. This practice creates a comprehensive visitor database, enabling administrators to know who is on their campus and when. PASS recommends that every school have a visitor badging system and has published a new white paper offering school administrators, safety officers, public safety personnel, and systems integrators and consultants insights into visitor management systems and strategies for safe campuses.

Leveraging Technology for Enhanced Visitor Verification

Electronic Visitor Management Systems (EVMS) are technological tools that simplify the visitor sign-in process and track detailed information such as identity, time of entry/exit, purpose of visit, and intended destination. Many systems use ID scanning technology to capture visitor photos or scan driver’s licenses to quickly verify identity and screen for individuals who are prohibited from entrance, such as those on sex offender registries or subject to restraining orders or divorce decrees. Beyond security, EVMS often include health screening information, emergency contacts, and volunteer hour tracking.

Case Study: Benefits of Visitor Management Systems

In 2018, a man accompanied a woman to an elementary school to register her child for classes. While hundreds of students and parents convened for the typical first-day-of-school frenzy, the EVMS system quietly played a critical role, flagging him as a registered sex offender, which led to his arrest on school grounds later that morning.

EVMS systems can also be configured to include sensitive information such as parental custody arrangements, criminal background checks, and custom watch lists. Given the commonness of divorce and custody disputes, integrating visitor management systems with student databases can be a powerful tool for schools. In one instance, a district averted a potential child abduction when an elementary school’s EVMS flagged a non-custodial grandparent. A subsequent search of the grandparent’s vehicle uncovered restraints, underscoring the critical role EVMS can play in safeguarding students.

EVMS can also be used to efficiently track volunteer hours, a valuable asset for many senior citizens seeking tax benefits. Additionally, the system can assist in screening volunteers to identify potential concerns based on criminal or civil records, ensuring the safety of students and staff.

We invite you to review  Visitor Management Systems, as it provides a roadmap for districts and schools looking to implement  visitor management systems, including best practices, scanning methods, case studies, and essential steps from policy development and parent communication to protocol establishment and budgeting.

About PASS

The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) bringing together expertise from the education, public safety, and industry communities to develop and support a coordinated approach to making effective and appropriate decisions with respect to safety and security investments. You can download the complete PASS Guidelines here, or check out our PASS Safety and Security Checklist for quick tips on how to get started.  These resources—as well as white papers on various topics including barricade devices, lockdown drills, and more—are available at no cost.