The following steps are essential to implementing an accountability-based school safety program:

Offer incentives for program participation. As noted, comprehensive programs involve representatives from both the public and private sectors. Involvement in these programs, however, may require participants to develop new collaborative relationships. For example, teachers may need to see themselves as partners with law enforcement personnel in establishing and maintaining school security. Programs should use incentives to ensure the widest possible participation. Incentives can include a variety of tangible items, such as T-shirts and mugs. More important, however, are intangible incentives, such as positive reinforcement and emphasis on each participant’s stake in the program’s success.

Articulate the program’s goals, policies, and methodologies. Program leaders need to ensure that students, parents, teachers, and the community understand the program’s goals, policies, and methodologies. Involving the juvenile justice system in accountability-based programs is vital. Yet, at the same time, it is also important to assure the community that an emphasis on student accountability will not result in excessively punitive responses that lack any restorative component.

Establish clearly defined roles and create realistic expectations. Each participant and participating entity should be given specific roles and responsibilities. Program participants and members of the community should have a clear understanding of the potential impact of the program. They should also appreciate the level of commitment needed for the program to succeed.

Provide training to program participants. Training should be provided at the program’s inception and periodically throughout its life and should include the widest possible group of participants. Training for teachers and other school staff should include rules for dealing with violent behavior and instructions on how to use the school’s alarm system, when to refer students for counseling or discipline, and what to do in a crisis.

Anticipate and respond to active or passive resistance. Police have often been reluctant to become involved in school safety initiatives, either because such work was not viewed as “real” law enforcement or because of institutional barriers. Other community groups have also been reluctant on occasion to become more involved in matters of school safety, perhaps out of fear, lack of familiarity with the issues, or a desire to remain insulated from the problems in their community. Program organizers should target these groups with aggressive outreach efforts that highlight the potential benefits of accountability-based school safety programs for schools and the community.