Learn more about Ken Trump in our School Safety Consultant Firm Video

Read about Ken Trump in Crain's Cleveland Business article: 
Clevelander locks in role as source on school security (pdf file)

 

School Safety Expert Leadership

KENNETH S. TRUMP, M.P.A., is President of National School Safety and Security Services, a Cleveland-based national consulting firm specializing in school security and emergency preparedness training, school security assessments, school emergency planning consultations, and related school safety and crisis consulting services.  Ken is one of the nation’s leading school safety experts and has 25 years of front-line public and private urban, suburban, and rural school security experience working with school and safety officials from all 50 states and Canada.

Ken served as founder and supervisor of the nationally-recognized Youth Gang Unit for the school safety division of the Cleveland City Schools, and as a suburban Cleveland school security director.  He also served as assistant director of a federal funded anti-gang task force for three Cleveland suburbs. 

Ken is author of the 1998 best-selling book, Practical School Security: Basic Guidelines for Safe and Secure Schools (Corwin Press), and more than 80 articles on school security and crisis issues. His second book, Classroom Killers? Hallway Hostages? How Schools Can Prevent and Manage School Crises, was released in July of 2000.  His most recent book Proactive School Security and Emergency Preparedness Planning was released in 2011.

Ken's school safety leadership includes:

• Four-time invited United States Congressional witness, providing school safety testimony to the House and Senate:
  1. House Education and Labor Committee Joint Subcommittee hearing on strengthening federal school safety July 8, 2009.
  2. House Homeland Security Committee hearing on school emergency readiness May 17, 2007.
  3. House Education and Labor Committee hearing on school security issues April 23, 2007.
  4. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee school safety hearing May 9, 1999.
   
• Invited by Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb to provide the opening presentation to the Oklahoma Commission on School Security, January 22, 2013.
  
  
• Provided a review of a state strategy plan at the request of the Maryland State Superintendent and, provided recommendations to the Ohio Senate Caucus staff on state school safety policy issues and responses, following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings (January, 2013).
  
  
• Invited expert witness providing testimony on the federal role in local school bullying at a May 13, 2011, hearing of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

 

• Invited expert panelist for Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay's tele-townhall meeting on bullying, December 15, 2011.
  
  

• Invited by the U.S. State Department in April of 2008 to provide a briefing to teachers, school officials and community partners in Israel on school safety, school violence prevention, school security and school emergency preparedness as coordinated by the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
   
• Expert testimony provided to the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Task Force on School and Campus Safety (2007).
   
• Invited attendee, White House Conference on School Safety, led by the President, First Lady, Attorney General, and Secretary of Education; October 2006.
   
• Chaired the Prevention Committee and served as Executive Board member for the Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative project for the Office of the United States Attorney of Northern Ohio in Cleveland, Ohio, one of six cities chosen by the U.S. Attorney General to receive $2.5 million to address gangs in 2006.

Ken has interviewed as a school safety and crisis expert for ABC World News Tonight, ABC Nightline, ABC 20/20, ABC Prime Time, CBS This Morning, CBS Evening News, CNBC, CNN, CNN Headline News, Fox News Channel, Geraldo at Large, Good Morning America, The Today Show, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, The O'Reilly Factor (Fox News Channel), Associated Press, Newsweek, Time Magazine, USA Today, NY Times, Education Week, and many other national and international media.

 

Practical School Safety Experience and Educational Credentials

In addition to his extensive consulting experience, Ken served over seven years with the Division of Safety and Security for the Cleveland Public Schools, the last three as founding supervisor of its school Youth Gang Unit. Under Ken's direction, the school gang unit reduced school gang crimes and disruptions by over 39% in three years. Ken then served as assistant director of a federal-funded gang project in three southwest Cleveland suburbs, where he was also director of security for the ninth largest Ohio public school system. In 1997, he expanded his consulting service business from an exceptionally active part-time business into a full-time operation, both having included work with school, law enforcement and other public safety officials, parents and students from all 50 states and in Canada.

While employed full-time in Cleveland-area school security capacities, Ken also worked part-time from 1985 to 1993 in the Emergency Control Center of the U.S. Federal Protective Service at Cleveland's federal office building. His responsibilities included Control Center operations of the District Emergency Control Center for the State of Ohio with duties including assignment of federal police and contract security officers, implementing emergency plans for federal property sites, and serving as liaison with local and federal emergency service agencies. In this capacity he received ongoing training related to physical security, terrorism and related issues.

Ken has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Service (Criminal Justice concentration) and a Master of Public Administration degree from Cleveland State University. He has received special certification in School Safety Leadership from the National School Safety Center, and also for completing the Advanced Physical Security Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Ken also received specialized training on suicide bombers and terrorism by an Israeli expert who served in the Israel Defense Forces, as a special agent and head of the executive protection for Israeli prime ministers, and as head instructor in the Israeli General Security Services agency.

Ken has also received extensive specialized training in gang prevention, intervention, and enforcement; terrorism and homeland security; physical security; school safety and emergency management; and associated topics.

Sample of Ken Trump's national media school safety expert interviews:
 

Print USA Today Wall Street Journal Associated Press Christian Science Monitor Cox News Service Danish News Service Gannett News Service Newhouse News Service Scripps Howard News Service The Times (London) Agence France Presse Time Magazine Newsweek U.S. News & World Report Education Week CHILD Magazine Akron Beacon Journal (Albany) Times-Union Arizona Republic Atlanta Journal-Constitution Baltimore Sun Boston Herald Buffalo News Charlotte Observer Chicago Tribune Cincinnati Enquirer (Cleveland) Plain Dealer Columbus Dispatch Dallas Morning News Denver Post (Denver) Rocky Mountain News Detroit Free Press Fort Worth Star-Telegram Houston Chronicle Indianapolis Star Kansas City Star Los Angeles Times Miami Herald Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Minneapolis) Star Tribune Newark Star-Ledger Newsday New York Daily News New York Times Omaha World-Herald Orlando Sentinel Philadelphia Inquirer Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Portland) Oregonian Richmond Times Dispatch Sacramento Bee Seattle Times St. Louis Post-Dispatch St. Petersburg Times Saint Paul Pioneer Press San Diego Union-Tribune San Francisco Chronicle Sun Sentinel (S. Florida) Washington Post Washington Times & other local newspapers nationwide

Television   ABC 20/20 ABC Good Morning America ABC Nightline ABC World News Tonight CBS Early Show CBS This Morning CBS Evening News CNBC CNN CNN American Morning CNN Burden of Proof CNN Headline News CNN Headline Prime CNN Talk Back Live Court TV C-SPAN Fox and Friends Fox News Channel Geraldo at Large Glenn Beck Show MSNBC MSNBC - The Abrams Report NBC Nightly News Nick News (Nickelodeon) PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer The Gayle King Show The O'Reilly Factor (Fox News Channel) The Today Show (NBC) & local network news nationwide     Radio ABC Radio - News ABC Radio - Sam Donaldson Show BBC (London) CBS Radio CNN Radio Fox News Radio All Things Considered (NPR) American Family Radio German Public Radio Lars Larson Show (Westwood One Radio) Mike Seigel Show National Public Radio Red FM (Ireland) Tony Trupiano Show Voice of America & other radio talk and news shows nationwide

 

Sample presentation, training and school safety expert consultation service clients
(in addition to school districts and individual schools nationwide)
 

• United States Senate (Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee)
• United States House of Representatives (House Education and Labor Committee)
• United States House of Representatives (House Homeland Security Committee)
• U.S. State Department
• National School Boards Association (NSBA)
• American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
• National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
• National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
• National School Public Relations Association
• National PTA
• U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity
• Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO International)
• National Christian School Association
• National Association of Attorneys General
• U.S. Department of Justice
• FBI National Academy
• Executive Office of the U.S. Attorneys
• U.S. Attorney’s offices in 10 states
• National Governors Association
• National Student Assistance Conference
• National Youth At-Risk Conference
• Parent Resource Institute for Drug Education
• American Society for Industrial Security
• Public Risk Management Association
• Education Writers Association
• National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences
• North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
• Indiana Governor’s Education Roundtable
• Indiana Department of Education’s  School Safety Specialist Academy
• Illinois Department of Education/Regional Offices of Education
• Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association
• South Carolina Department of Education
• Hawaii Department of Education
• Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety
• California Gang Investigators Association
• Midwest Gang Investigators Association
• MAGLOCLEN Law Enforcement Network
• Montana Behavior Institute
• Student Assistance Professionals Association of Georgia
• National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)
• National Police Athletic/Activities Leagues (National PAL)
• Michigan State Police - Emergency Management Division/Homeland Security
• Indiana Governor's Summit on Homeland Security
• Ohio Association of Pupil Service Administrators
• Ohio School Boards Association
• Ohio Schools Council
• Ohio Office of Criminal Justice  Services
• Ohio Association of Secondary  School Administrators
• University of Wisconsin
• Purdue University
• Criminal Justice Research Center of The Ohio State University
• University of Virginia
• Ohio PTA
• Ohio Education Association
• Florida State Attorney's Office
• National Association of Prevention Professionals and  Advocates (NAPPA)
• Oklahoma Gang Investigators   Association
• New Jersey State Police Street Gang Unit
• Kentucky Prevention Network
• Minnesota Juvenile Officers Institute
• Missouri Police Chiefs Association
• Institute for Intergovernmental Research
• National Youth Gang Symposium
• Texas School Safety Center
• Oklahoma Governor's Safe Schools Summit

 

Education and training includes:

• Master of Public Administration degree
• B.A. in Social Service (criminal justice concentration)
• Advanced Physical Security Training Program (Federal Law Enforcement Training Center)
• School Safety Leadership Certification (National School Safety Center)
• State-certified private police training
• Extensive specialized training on topics on school safety and security, crisis preparedness planning, gang and drug issues, terrorism and emergency management, and related school and youth safety topics

 

Professional memberships and affiliations:

• International Association of Professional Security Consultants (IAPSC)
• American Association of School Administrators (AASA)
• Co-founder, Ohio Chapter, Midwest Gang Investigators Association (MGIA)
• Former 6-year member of board of directors of the National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers
• American Society for Industrial Security (past chair, K-12 Subcommittee, Educational Institutions Security Standing Committee)
• Former member and advisor to the National Association of School Resource Officers' executive director and board, including conducting the nation's first four, largest surveys of SROs
   

To request additional biographical information and reference letters, feel free to e-mail Ken directly at KENTRUMP@aol.com.