Stop the Prop Stop the Prop

Don’t Prop Me Now Stop the Prop, What is it? How do we prevent Break-Ins?

Gavin Berry | Staff Writer

With the continued construction of a new building, Lindbergh has continued to keep its students safe. However, in the process, a major problem administrators are facing is how well students are able to maintain that safety. Specifically, intruders possibly entering the school which could lead to some issues resulting in injuries.

Stop the Prop is a solution that has appeared to keep the buildings and students secure and safe. A large aspect of the problem is the awareness of said movement from both staff and, mainly, students.

“When someone’s locked out, our first inclination is to let them in because, as human beings, we like to assume most of the time that most people are good.”

In order to raise awareness, staff have placed stickers labeled “Stop-the-Prop” on the doors of the buildings at the beginning of the year with the intention that students won’t open doors for any outside visitors. But why students let unauthorized people through entrances such as the auditorium gate is still up in the air.

Timothy Lombardo (LHS Sociology Teacher)

“Because of that, they don’t necessarily see the potential consequences as a threat to them or their school,” Sarah Saunders (LHS Psychology Teacher) said.

“I think some students are probably familiar with Stop the Prop, but I bet there is a lot that don’t know,” said Eric Cochran (LHS Principal).

A leading factor contributing to unauthorized access entering schools has been the mentality of the students. Construction plays an essential part, as students view a locked out person, unknowingly, as part of the Lindbergh community. Without full confirmation, LHS students will let them in through a wrong entrance rather than letting the intruder go through the attendance office located at the auditorium.

But students may not see the full picture of letting an intruder in the school. As school break-in numbers increase, so does the amount of shootings. Such organizations like EducationWeek have also stated, “There were 51 school shootings in 2022 that resulted in injuries or deaths.” A possible solution, if an unfortunate event were to happen, could be the practice of live action school shootings, a precaution that allows for a drill that tests students and staff depending on the intruder’s

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Are you familiar with what Stop the Prop is?

location.

“What we try to do with our drills is we try to do a scaled down version, where we give information but we allow students to recognize that there are choices that they get to make within that drill with the information they have,” Cochran said.

With both the construction of the new building and students’ trusting behavior, the chances of a possible intruder increase unless Stop-the-Prop becomes a no longer needed campaign as providing protection for both staff and students is crucial in avoiding possible break-in scenarios.

Have you held the door open for a student or staff member to let them in the Lindbergh Campus?

Have you made attempts to direct students toward the attendance office instead of holding the door?

If you have been locked out, how did you enter?