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NRA releases school safety proposal; Thompson says other steps necessary as well
On Tuesday the National Rifle Association released its own proposal to address gun violence, focusing on safety at the nation’s schools.
The NRA’s National School Shield Program offered a number of findings and recommendations, with the task force completing the report explaining that it has “done its work by providing best practices in school security, new tools for security assessments, recommendations for funding and a private sector program model.
“It is our hope that the NRA looks favorably on these recommendations, commits its enormous political will and energy behind this effort, and devotes sufficient resources to properly fund the program, pilots and continued support for school safety,” the report stated.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), who chairs the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, had concerns about the proposal.
“School safety is an important component of any comprehensive plan to reduce and prevent gun violence,” he said. “That’s why my task force recommended that Congress take steps to enhance school safety nearly two months ago. We should do everything we can to keep our kids safe, and that includes having school resource officers in those schools that want them, and urging our communities to develop safety plans in case of emergencies. However, arming school personnel and training them for shootouts will only exacerbate problems.”
The National School Shield Task Force’s findings included the following:
– There has been insufficient attention paid to school security; the greatest security gap falls within the medium- to smaller-size schools, which do not have the level of resources of the larger school districts.
– Many schools do not have a formal, written security plan, and even for those that do, they are often either inadequate or not properly exercised.
– A properly trained armed school officer, such as a school resource officer, has proven to be an important layer of security for prevention and response in the case of an active threat on a school campus.
– Local school authorities are in the best position to make a final decision on school safety procedures, specifically whether an armed security guard is necessary and supported by the education and citizen community.
– Many public and non-public schools are financially unable to include armed security personnel as part of the school security plan and have resorted to school staff carrying firearms in order to provide an additional level of protection for the students and staff in the event of a violent incident on school property.
– While the local school leadership should make all final decisions regarding the elements of the school security plan, the individual states, with few exceptions, have not made school security an element of adequacy in school standards.
– School officials are not generally trained in security assessments or the development of comprehensive safety and security plans.
– Federal funding for the personnel costs of SROs has served as a pathway for increased security in our schools, but federal funding has proved unreliable as a long-term solution to the school safety and security needs of our nation.
– There are numerous federal agencies and programs that provide valuable school safety resources; however, there is a lack of coordination between the federal agencies resulting in gaps, duplication and inefficiencies.
– In most violent attacks at a school, there are multiple early warning signs, called pre-incident indicators, of a student or outside person who exhibits threatening behavior and poses a risk to the school.
The task force then offered the following recommendations:
– A model-training program has been developed by the NSS Task Force for the professional training of armed personnel in the school environment.
– Many states prohibit anyone other than a sworn law-enforcement officer or licensed security guard to carry a firearm in a public or non-public school. In order for a selected school staff member to be designated, trained and armed on school property, the states will have to change current legal restrictions.
– Each school that employs a school resource officer should have a memorandum of understanding, or an “interagency agreement,” between the appropriate law-enforcement agency and the school district. This contract should define the duties and responsibilities of the SRO, as well as the applicable laws, rules and regulations.
– An Internet-based self-assessment tool has been created to allow any school (whether public, private or parochial) to have secure access to comprehensively evaluate and assess the security gaps and vulnerabilities of each school.
– State standards related to school security vary from non-existent to stringent. Although state responses to school security will naturally vary, there should be a common element that requires all public schools to participate in an assessment and develop a security plan based on the unique
requirements of that particular institution.
– Either through legislation or executive action, a lead agency should be designated to coordinate the federal programs and funding of local school safety efforts. The Department of Homeland Security should be designated as the lead, supported by the Department of Education and Department of Justice.
– Because of the limitations of federal, state and local funding for school safety, there is an important role that can be filled by a private non-profit advocacy and education organization. The National School Shield is in a position with adequate funding and support from the NRA to fulfill this important national mission.
– As part of its comprehensive security plan, each school should develop a threat assessment team, which will work in coordination with mental health professionals. The purpose is to create a positive school environment that encourages sharing information on early warning signs and reducing incidences of bullying or other antisocial behavior.
The full NRA task force report can be seen at http://www.nraschoolshield.com/NSS_Final.pdf .
“While school safety must be part of any comprehensive gun violence prevention plan, it cannot be the only part,” said Thompson, a hunter, gun owner and Vietnam veteran. “We need to invest in mental health and other preventive efforts. We need to enforce the laws that are on the books by cracking down on gun trafficking and straw purchasing. And, we need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill by making sure everyone purchasing a gun gets a background check.
Thompson’s task force recommended in early February that Congress help all schools implement evidence-based strategies that support safe learning environments tailored to the unique needs of students and local communities. The task force also recommended that Congress work with schools to develop emergency response plans.
A full report of the policy principles released by the task force can be seen here: http://mikethompson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=319295 .
“Passing legislation that enhances school safety is not an acceptable alternative to passing other gun violence prevention measures such as background checks. Congress can and should do both,” Thompson said.