In the wake of student safety concerns brought about by recent local and national threats, Roseville High School is reevaluating its campus security. In taking progressive steps forward to ensure student safety, it is important to note the Campo Street alley remains a hole on campus, open to threats and intruders, and a hole in RHS security.

Currently, the alley allows direct access to campus and nearly 2000 students all day long. While students use it before and after school to get on and off campus, it remains unprotected throughout school hours as well.

With plans in place to construct a glass wall in the administration building to keep out unwarranted visitors, it’s obvious RHS is making leaps and bounds toward a more secure campus during an unsettling – yet necessary – societal period of heightened precaution. However, the wall strives to fix a similar issue as present in the alley: preventing people from entering and exiting campus during school hours. While the plans to construct the wall are to be applauded, it would be irresponsible to not address a closely similar threat that exists less than half a mile away.

Recent shooter threats reminded us that regulation of uncomplicated access to campus at all times is not easy. But it is a necessary step to maintain maximum campus safety.

In this time of reflection and reassessment of security, it is important to prioritize the issue of the alley. Without a plan to close off this entrance from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. all other efforts made will be aimless. There will still be a different place of direct access to campus which is even less secure and open to a neighborhood of people.

As opposed to the administration building’s lobby, where staff are consistently present, the alley lies out of direct view of staff and administrators, leaving it a more difficult area to monitor.

While the alley is not necessarily close to classrooms, it presents a high risk to students in the cafeteria right next door. During lunch hours, the large number of students and general amount of chaos present in a high school lunchroom leaves the cafeteria one of the most vulnerable places in a time of crisis.

The alley has remained a chink in RHS’ armor due to the difficulties faced when previous efforts have been made in trying to close it off. It is city property, not belonging to RHS, and therefore any act to fence it off requires city permission and neighborhood cooperation.

When asked, administrators acknowledged the alley as a security concern and said it will be addressed when a solution is proposed to overcome these barriers. The time to jump these barriers is now, so we can erect one in front of the alley.