Guns are on display after a gun buyback event organized by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in the borough of Queens in New York, U.S., June 12, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
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July 15 (Reuters) – (This July 15 story corrects the name of Ragsdale’s chief from Ragland)
Georgia’s second-largest school district has approved a policy allowing non-certified police officers to carry weapons, part of its response to the Texas school shooting that killed 19 children and two adults two months ago.
The Cobb County School Board voted 4-2 at a meeting Thursday to adopt the policy as a way to increase the number of officers carrying weapons at a time when finding new police officers is difficult. The policy would exclude teachers from carrying guns.
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Officers authorized to carry weapons will receive the same training as certified school officers.
It was unclear whether the suburban Atlanta neighborhood intends to hire new non-police security personnel or will use existing officers for the role.
During the meeting, opponents of the policy booed and shouted “Delay the vote,” demanding a more detailed discussion at an Aug. 18 meeting before the board makes a final decision.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said final approval for any personnel will rest with School Board Police Chief Ron Storey.
Representatives from the superintendent’s office could not be reached for comment, and the board members who voted on the policy could not be reached.
In Uvalde, Texas, it took police more than an hour to respond when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and opened fire in a classroom. The delayed response sparked a national debate about law enforcement’s response in Uvalde, as well as the risks and benefits of arming staff at schools to help protect students. Read more
A 2014 Georgia state law allows school districts to set policies on arming teachers and other staff, but only a handful have done so since the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Ragsdale said.
The state school board did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the number of districts that have allowed armed teachers into classrooms.
Before the vote, Ragsdale said the 107,000-student district currently has nearly 70 employees spread across its 114 schools.
“If the board gave me a blank check and told me to hire a school resource officer for every school in Cobb County, I couldn’t do that,” Ragsdale said.
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Reporting by Randy Love in New York; edited by Jonathan Oatis
Our standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
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