Ridgefield Press
RHS guards expected back Monday
Nov 26, 2005

Security guards will be returning to Ridgefield High School and its parking lot, and resuming traffic direction duties, after the Thanksgiving break.
Superintendent of Schools Kenneth Freeston has approved the return of the guard service, which was suspended after a guard working at the school was arrested and charged with illegal possession and sale of marijuana.
Dr. Freeston told the school board last week that he made the decision after reviewing the results of an investigation done by Securitas, the firm that had provided the guards since September and which employed the man charged with selling drugs to students.
None of the guards working at the school when the alleged drug dealing was going on will be coming back.
�All new security guards,� Dr. Freeston told the school board, �a complete change in personnel.�
He said it was likely that guards would be back on duty the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Dr. Freeston also told the school board that since suspending the guard service he�d gotten two letters from parents who opposed the guards� return to traffic duties at the RHS driveway exits and entrances just before and just after school. Dr. Freeston paraphrased the two letters as saying �We�re glad the traffic guards are gone, don�t bring them back.�
But the guards will resume directing traffic, as well as providing security, Dr. Freeston said. The point of having the guards direct traffic isn�t to speed the flow � it doesn�t � but safety, to make the traffic more orderly and less dangerous.
Dr. Freeston announced the decision at the school board�s Nov. 14 meeting.

� Copyright by Hersam Acorn newspapers