Lockdown
Encyclopedia
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression.
In its most common usage in corrections units, the term lockdown can be defined as a course of action to control the movement of inmates. There may be various levels of "lockdown". Confining all prisoners, except workers, to their cells until the end of the day is a good example of a "lockdown period" in a corrections schedule. However a "full lockdown" is used when all prisoners are locked in their cells to prevent a riot from spreading or during an emergency.
A lockdown is an emergency protocol to prevent people or information escaping, which usually can only be ordered by someone in command
. They are also used to protect people inside a facility from a dangerous external event: in the United States
, schools practice lockdowns in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre
where potential assailants who were possessing firearms, (with a hostile intent), enter the school, or from an internal event; prison facilities also practice lockdown procedure on their inmates when faced with rioting or unrest.
A partial lockdown means that the doors leading outside of the building are locked and people may not exit or enter the building. A full lockdown means that people must stay where they are and may not exit or enter a classroom, apartment unit, store unit, an office space, condo unit or to enter or exit the building. If people are in a hallway they must go into the nearest classroom, apartment unit, condo unit, office space or store unit.
In the US protest movements dating from the 1960s and 70s the term lockdown means for a person to attach themselves to a building, object, fence or other immobile object. This was originally done with chains and handcuffs, but other devices have been introduced including tripods and tubes or pipes with handholds built in to link a person to an object or to create chains of people.
was initiated to prevent any remaining perpetrators from escaping.
In December 2005 the New South Wales Police Service initiated a 'lockdown' of the Sutherland Shire
and other beach areas of New South Wales to contain race rioting (and retaliative strikes). The New South Wales Labor government, in an emergency sitting of parliament, passed an array of amendments to legislation giving the New South Wales Police Service additional powers to 'lock down' targeted areas and roads within New South Wales. The legislation introduced to deal with the 2005 Cronulla riots
was the Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW). The Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW) amended four separate pieces of legislation:
Under their new powers, the New South Wales Police Service 'locked down' targeted areas and roads at Cronulla, Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Brighton-le-Sands to prevent persons of middle eastern appearance from committing reprisal attacks and prevent white supremacist agitators from further violence.
An example of a campus/school lockdown was demonstrated at the University of British Columbia
on January 30, 2008 where an unknown threat was made and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
(RCMP) issued a lockdown on one of the buildings on campus for 6 hours, cordoning off the area and a campus alert was sent via email to everyone who is affiliated with UBC while students and faculties were to remain locked in the building.
On April 10, 2008 two Canadian secondary school
s were locked down due to suspected firearm threats. George S. Henry Academy was locked down in Toronto
, Ontario
at approximately 2:00p.m.. The Emergency Task Force (TPS) were contacted and the lockdown lasted for more than two hours. New Westminster Secondary School
was locked down in New Westminster, British Columbia
at approximately 1:40 p.m.. The Emergency Response Team
(ERT) were called and the school was under lockdown until 4:30 p.m. Due to the size of the school, some students were not able to leave until 7:00 p.m.
It is considered an overreaction to lock down a school due to nearby criminal activity, such as a bank robbery, as criminals of that sort don't fit the profile of those who would take advantage of the perceived safety of a school (perceived because the reality is that it's a terrible place for refuge, as it's full of people in every room all the time) and only rarely have entered a school while fleeing police.
In some schools (unlisted for "certain" reasons), a "Non-aggressive" lock down would mean that all students would follow school lock down procedure, and a student locker drug search will be performed by either the school staff, a K9 unit, the local police, or all three. However, not every school practices this, and some will actively search all lockers without requiring a complete lock down.
Another example of a "lock down" would be an air raid emergency. During the 1940's and 1950's, neighborhoods in Detroit, MI (Other areas not verified) would practice a "black out". During this time, the city's Civil Defense workers would immediately activate the neighborhood air raid siren, and families would be required to do the following in order: 1. Shut off all appliances, such as stoves, ovens, furnaces. 2. Shut off valves for water and natural gas or propane, as well as disconnect electricity. 3. Close "blackout" curtains, which were plain black curtains that would block light from coming in or going out. Unlike an atomic bomb, where white curtains are used to reflect the blast, black curtains were used to prevent any airborne enemies from seeing in windows. 4. Get to a public shelter, a bomb or fallout shelter, or the household basement, and stay there until the local police would dismiss the black out. Although this is no longer practiced, it is still used by a small portion of people who would protect against any enemies. These blackout incidents would begin at 3:00 PM and usually end around 3:30.
In its most common usage in corrections units, the term lockdown can be defined as a course of action to control the movement of inmates. There may be various levels of "lockdown". Confining all prisoners, except workers, to their cells until the end of the day is a good example of a "lockdown period" in a corrections schedule. However a "full lockdown" is used when all prisoners are locked in their cells to prevent a riot from spreading or during an emergency.
A lockdown is an emergency protocol to prevent people or information escaping, which usually can only be ordered by someone in command
Authority
The word Authority is derived mainly from the Latin word auctoritas, meaning invention, advice, opinion, influence, or command. In English, the word 'authority' can be used to mean power given by the state or by academic knowledge of an area .-Authority in Philosophy:In...
. They are also used to protect people inside a facility from a dangerous external event: in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, schools practice lockdowns in the wake of the Columbine High School massacre
Columbine High School massacre
The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two senior students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12...
where potential assailants who were possessing firearms, (with a hostile intent), enter the school, or from an internal event; prison facilities also practice lockdown procedure on their inmates when faced with rioting or unrest.
A partial lockdown means that the doors leading outside of the building are locked and people may not exit or enter the building. A full lockdown means that people must stay where they are and may not exit or enter a classroom, apartment unit, store unit, an office space, condo unit or to enter or exit the building. If people are in a hallway they must go into the nearest classroom, apartment unit, condo unit, office space or store unit.
In the US protest movements dating from the 1960s and 70s the term lockdown means for a person to attach themselves to a building, object, fence or other immobile object. This was originally done with chains and handcuffs, but other devices have been introduced including tripods and tubes or pipes with handholds built in to link a person to an object or to create chains of people.
Examples
In the wake of the September 11 attacks a three-day lockdown of American airspaceAirspace
Airspace means the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere....
was initiated to prevent any remaining perpetrators from escaping.
In December 2005 the New South Wales Police Service initiated a 'lockdown' of the Sutherland Shire
Sutherland Shire
The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...
and other beach areas of New South Wales to contain race rioting (and retaliative strikes). The New South Wales Labor government, in an emergency sitting of parliament, passed an array of amendments to legislation giving the New South Wales Police Service additional powers to 'lock down' targeted areas and roads within New South Wales. The legislation introduced to deal with the 2005 Cronulla riots
2005 Cronulla riots
The 2005 Cronulla riots were a series of sectarian clashes and mob violence originating in Cronulla, New South Wales and spreading, over the next few nights, to additional Sydney suburbs....
was the Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW). The Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Public Safety) Act 2005 (NSW) amended four separate pieces of legislation:
- Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW)
- Crimes Act 1900 (NSW)
- Bail Act 1978 (NSW)
- Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW).
Under their new powers, the New South Wales Police Service 'locked down' targeted areas and roads at Cronulla, Bondi, Coogee, Maroubra and Brighton-le-Sands to prevent persons of middle eastern appearance from committing reprisal attacks and prevent white supremacist agitators from further violence.
An example of a campus/school lockdown was demonstrated at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
on January 30, 2008 where an unknown threat was made and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP) issued a lockdown on one of the buildings on campus for 6 hours, cordoning off the area and a campus alert was sent via email to everyone who is affiliated with UBC while students and faculties were to remain locked in the building.
On April 10, 2008 two Canadian secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s were locked down due to suspected firearm threats. George S. Henry Academy was locked down in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
at approximately 2:00p.m.. The Emergency Task Force (TPS) were contacted and the lockdown lasted for more than two hours. New Westminster Secondary School
New Westminster Secondary School
New Westminster Secondary School is a high school in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the largest high schools in BC. Students of grade 8 to 12 are enrolled. The school offers various advanced programs such as the International Baccalaureate program, Advanced Placement...
was locked down in New Westminster, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
at approximately 1:40 p.m.. The Emergency Response Team
Emergency Response Team
The Emergency Response Team is the paramilitary tactical police arm of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.- Purpose and history of the ERT :...
(ERT) were called and the school was under lockdown until 4:30 p.m. Due to the size of the school, some students were not able to leave until 7:00 p.m.
It is considered an overreaction to lock down a school due to nearby criminal activity, such as a bank robbery, as criminals of that sort don't fit the profile of those who would take advantage of the perceived safety of a school (perceived because the reality is that it's a terrible place for refuge, as it's full of people in every room all the time) and only rarely have entered a school while fleeing police.
In some schools (unlisted for "certain" reasons), a "Non-aggressive" lock down would mean that all students would follow school lock down procedure, and a student locker drug search will be performed by either the school staff, a K9 unit, the local police, or all three. However, not every school practices this, and some will actively search all lockers without requiring a complete lock down.
Another example of a "lock down" would be an air raid emergency. During the 1940's and 1950's, neighborhoods in Detroit, MI (Other areas not verified) would practice a "black out". During this time, the city's Civil Defense workers would immediately activate the neighborhood air raid siren, and families would be required to do the following in order: 1. Shut off all appliances, such as stoves, ovens, furnaces. 2. Shut off valves for water and natural gas or propane, as well as disconnect electricity. 3. Close "blackout" curtains, which were plain black curtains that would block light from coming in or going out. Unlike an atomic bomb, where white curtains are used to reflect the blast, black curtains were used to prevent any airborne enemies from seeing in windows. 4. Get to a public shelter, a bomb or fallout shelter, or the household basement, and stay there until the local police would dismiss the black out. Although this is no longer practiced, it is still used by a small portion of people who would protect against any enemies. These blackout incidents would begin at 3:00 PM and usually end around 3:30.
Additional use
A digital lockdown is to prevent all outward flow of information on a computer, including internet access, and internal applications. It is used to prevent the spread of viral infections, and glitches in the computer, or to keep a computer hijacker from stealing information. However shutdown week in school generally refers to the last week of school where there are no exams/assignments and is optional to go to schoolSee also
- AMBER AlertAMBER AlertAn AMBER Alert or a Child Abduction Emergency is a child abduction alert bulletin in several countries throughout the world, issued upon the suspected abduction of a child, since 1996...
- Code AdamCode AdamCode Adam is a "missing child" safety program in the United States and Canada, originally created by Wal-Mart retail stores in 1994. It is named in memory of Adam Walsh, the 6-year-old son of John Walsh . Adam was abducted from a Sears department store in Florida in 1981 and was later found murdered...
- CurfewCurfewA curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
- TerrorismTerrorismTerrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
- Martial LawMartial lawMartial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
- Lock-onLock-onA lock-on is a technique used by peaceful protesters to make it difficult to remove them from their place of protest. It often involves handcuffs, chains, padlocks or bicycle locks...