In the Tuesday edition of the paper, we learned the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh is hiring security officers for its schools, including Cranberry Township’s North Catholic High School.

Wendell Hissrich, the director of safety and security for the diocese, declined to share the price tag of the endeavor, sharing that the cost “is not cheap.”

“Not doing anything in my opinion would be more costly than doing what the diocese is committing to,” Hissrich said. “What amount can you put on a human life?”

It wasn’t too long ago that law enforcement swarmed Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. The false calls, or “swatting,” last March prompted the intense, but appropriate response to what was at first believed to be a real threat.

Police in Pittsburgh searched every room at Central Catholic High School. Even after getting word the call was a hoax, it was treated as if it could have been real.

Fortunately, it wasn’t real, but the threat of potential violence at schools is real. Leaders of schools, public and private, must be aware of that potential and be prepared to protect students.

In the words of Hissrich, “What amount can you put on a human life?”

The Tuesday article went on to detail how Butler Catholic School also recently invested in safety. We reported thousands of dollars upgrading security throughout the school, from its front doors to its video surveillance system. The upgrades were paid for in part by COVID-19 relief money the school received.

Again, all schools private and public, must consider safety. It’s unfortunate, but worth the cost to take the precautions.

— TL