Mission & Academics Blog
Friendly Faces, Watchful Eyes
When Phil Horter, Brookfield Academy’s Director of Security, stops to push a child on the playground swing, he knows what will happen next. “If I push a Primary School kid on a swing, you can bet I will have 15 more wanting to get the next push!”
This is hardly the scene you might connect with a veteran police captain in charge of protecting our school. But at Brookfield Academy, such interactions are a familiar part of the day. Four years after BA established its professional security team, the officers are more than a protective presence. They have become members of the school community.
For many years, schools were open buildings, and parents and visitors walked through the unlocked doors. But times change, and concerns about security have prompted Brookfield Academy and other schools to add security protocols and physical protections to campus. “My vision was to provide an additional layer of security while preserving the welcoming, personal atmosphere that makes Brookfield Academy special,” Doug Ricci, Head of School, recounts. He directed officers to be more than anonymous security personnel; he wanted them to understand the BA philosophy and personally engage with children and other members of the school community.
The core members of the security team are retired police officers with more than 170 years of collective experience. Their task is challenging. They must patrol our multi-acre campus with its many buildings and athletic facilities while students are moving between buildings, crossing roads and parking areas, and playing outdoors. In his earlier career, Mr. Horter audited school safety systems and recommended improvements. He brought that experience to his position at BA, where he oversees our extensive safety infrastructure, including security cameras, door alarms, resistant glass, and age-appropriate practice drills in emergency preparedness. Mr. Horter’s prior service as a captain in the Brookfield Police Department means our school now has a strong relationship with our local police. In addition, his team provides all the day-to-day security needs on campus, including crisis response and visitor monitoring.
But what distinguishes the Academy’s security team is the quality of relationships the officers have formed with students, parents, and staff. Wearing their distinctive blue and yellow security vests, they can be seen playing foursquare, shooting hoops, or tossing a football with children on the playground. They attend lunches, assemblies, and campus events. They are regular fixtures at concerts and drama productions, and they cheer on our teams at games. Michelle Sullivan, Middle School Head, notes, “You often see them around campus talking to students about their extracurricular activities and complimenting them on their performance. The children love their ‘Pizza with Security’ prize offered at our BAME auction.” Mr. Horter explains that this interaction is enjoyable and intentional. The security team strives to build trust over time, so they can truly serve the school community.
And that trust pays off. For example, Mrs. Sullivan shared an account of a time a student fainted in the school hallway. Officers Jeff Griffin and Bill Spankowski were there to supervise the students, keep everyone calm, and guide first responders. When needed, the officers are both trained professionals protecting students and familiar and trusted adults who reassure frightened children.
For Mr. Horter and his colleagues, the pleasure they take in being part of the Brookfield Academy community is unmistakable. “We enjoy working with children and cultivating those relationships,” he says. “We love to come to our jobs.”
But behind the warm exchanges and personal interactions lies a serious responsibility. “We know why we are here. We know what our job is. We are serious about it every day,” he says.
At the Academy, the people entrusted with keeping our children safe are also some of the people that the children most enjoy seeing every day. That is the remarkable achievement of Brookfield Academy’s security program and the realization of Mr. Ricci’s vision.
