Georgia’s second-largest school district allows non-officers to carry guns

Weapons are displayed after a gun buyback occasion organized by the New York Metropolis Police Division (NYPD), within the Queens borough of New York Metropolis, U.S., June 12, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photograph

July 15 (Reuters) – (This July 15 story corrects superintendent’s identify to Ragsdale from Ragland)

Georgia’s second-largest college district has permitted a coverage to permit personnel who are usually not licensed cops to hold weapons, a part of its response to the capturing at a Texas college that killed 19 kids and two adults two months in the past.

The Cobb County college board voted 4-2 at a gathering on Thursday to undertake the coverage as a option to bolster the variety of workers carrying weapons at a time when discovering new cops is tough. The coverage would exclude lecturers from carrying weapons.

Staff licensed to hold weapons would get the identical coaching as licensed college useful resource officers.

It was not clear whether or not the suburban Atlanta district meant to rent new safety personnel who weren’t cops, or if it might use present staff for the position.

Throughout the assembly, opponents of the coverage booed and shouted, “Delay the vote,” demanding a extra detailed dialogue happen at an Aug. 18 assembly earlier than the board made a closing resolution.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale mentioned closing approval for any personnel would lie with the college board’s police chief, Ron Storey.

Representatives of the superintendent’s workplace weren’t instantly accessible for remark, and members of the board who voted on the coverage couldn’t be reached.

In Uvalde, Texas, police took greater than an hour to intervene when a gunman entered Robb Elementary College and opened hearth in a classroom. The delayed response has sparked nationwide debate relating to the regulation enforcement response in Uvalde, in addition to over the dangers and advantages of arming workers at faculties to assist defend schoolchildren. learn extra

A 2014 Georgia state regulation permits college districts to set insurance policies to arm lecturers and different workers, however solely a handful have finished so for the reason that Marjory Stoneman Douglas Excessive College capturing in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, Ragsdale mentioned.

The state college board didn’t instantly reply to a request for the variety of districts which have allowed armed lecturers in lecture rooms.

Earlier than the vote, Ragsdale mentioned the district, with 107,000 college students, at the moment has almost 70 officers stationed amongst its 114 faculties.

“If the board gave me a clean test and mentioned go rent a college useful resource officer for each college in Cobb County, I couldn’t do this,” Ragsdale mentioned.

Reporting by Randi Love in New York; enhancing by Jonathan Oatis

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