FULLERTON : City to Pay Half for Security at Schools

The city will be paying half the cost of installing security systems at three local schools.

The City Council agreed this week to help pay for the installation of a cement pad and utility hookups for a mobile home at Nicolas Junior High School to allow a security guard to live on the premises. The city will also pay part of the cost of installing fencing, gates and landscaping at Nicolas, and at Valencia and Raymond elementary schools.

The total city contribution is $13,500.

A live-in security guard will move his or her mobile home to Nicolas Junior High to keep an eye on the campus and neighboring city park at night. The fences, gates and plants will be installed to try to keep people from wandering from the park onto the school grounds.

Trustees for the Fullerton district voted in November to install the security measures if the city agreed to pay half.

Principals at the three schools have reported an increasing problem with transients coming onto school grounds from the parks to use restrooms and rummage through trash cans. The schools are also reporting more vandalism at night.

School and city officials have said they will evaluate the effectiveness of the security measures and may add them at other schools that are next to city parks. Most district schools adjoin city parks, with school playing fields merging into the park without a physical border.