Schools were once traditionally seen as a safe place for children, adolescents and adults. The educational context, combined with community involvement, gave no reason for violence to occur in schools. As the years have passed, the occurrence of violence in schools has shocked communities across the nation, calling for state legislators and school districts to find a solution to prevent these acts from occurring. Events like the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado prompted schools across the United States to increase their security measures with more rigorous policies and procedures, spending millions of dollars on security equipment, from security cameras to metal detector. Although schools increase their security measures to prevent the occurrence of another serious incident, such as a suspect with a firearm (active shooter) entering school property, some security measures have not been effective. An example is the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where the shooter managed to bypass a locked door that is one of the school's security measures, forcing staff visiting the school to request the entrance into the building (Barron). While most security measures passively make schools safer, they are by no means sufficient to prevent an individual intent on creating mass violence from accomplishing his task. State representatives, national organizations, school personnel and parents must come together to identify the most reliable ways to prevent an active shooting situation from occurring in their schools. One active solution is that many schools have partnered with local law enforcement to provide police officers who patrol school grounds.......middle of paper......today. “More doors locked, police as schools increase security.” USA Today 2013: Academic research completed. Network. February 26, 2014.Ripley, Amanda. "Your brain under fire. (Cover story)." Time 181.3 (2013): 34-41. Academic research completed. Network. March 7, 2014. Rostron, Allen and Brian Siebel. “No Gun Left Behind: The Gun Lobby's Campaign to Push Guns into Colleges and Schools.” www.bradycampaign.org. Np: Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, 2007. 9-11. Rpt. in juvenile crime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing points of view in context. Network. March 31, 2014.Shah, Nirvi. "Teachers already armed in some districts." Education Week 32.21 (2013): 1,1, 14, 15. ProQuest. Network. March 31, 2014.Severson, Kim and Alan Blinder. "Guns at school? If there's a will, there are ways." Academic LexisNexis. LexisNexis, September 28, 2013. Web. March 31. 2014.