Due to the state’s law enforcement shortage, lawmakers are looking for teachers and retired law enforcement to help keep schools safe
BY: AMELIA FERRELL KNISELY
Citing a shortage in law enforcement in the state, Republican lawmakers are looking to arm teachers and retired law enforcement in schools to bolster school safety.
If their proposals are successful this legislative session, there’d be four groups of people in total who could carry guns in schools.
Lawmakers’ efforts come amid a nationwide rise in school shootings, and the state hasn’t put continuous money toward filling in the officer gaps.
Not every county has a school resource officer, or SRO — positions usually held by current or retired police officers who perform threat surveillance duties, respond to safety threats and more. There are also prevention resource officers, PROs, who are grant funded.
Lawmakers have said the state’s law enforcement staffing shortage contributed to the lack of officers in schools.
“We are looking at a real dilemma, and a real state of emergency in regards to the safety of our children,” said Del. David Kelly, R-Tyler, on Wednesday. “If we don’t have enough officers in the state … If some counties can’t afford to place an officer in the school, then we are left with difficult decisions.”
House Bill 4851, would allow public and private schools to employ retired law enforcement officers as armed security. The officers would be known as school safety officers. The House signed off on that after amending it to remove training about systemic racism; the bill is now in the Senate for consideration.
Another measure, House Bill 4299, would allow teachers, administrators and support personnel to conceal carry on school grounds after completing a background check and training. They’d be known as school protection officers. The bill passed out of the Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday.
“There were 38 school shootings last year in the United States. We’ve been fortunate not to have one here,” Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, told lawmakers. “If we don’t do something, some of the people in this room who have kids and grandkids are not going to have them.”
Dr. Jim McJunkin with the West Virginia Academy of Pediatrics told lawmakers that a recent survey found that armed adults “frequently mishandle their guns in schools.” In one instance, a teacher’s loaded gun fell from his waistband during a cartwheel.
McJunkin is also a volunteer with the state chapter of Moms Demand Action.
“Yesterday’s vote is another example of how the gun lobby’s ‘guns everywhere’ agenda has poisoned our lawmakers’ understanding of school safety,” he said in an email. “Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, and instead of doing anything to protect our children, our lawmakers want to put more guns in the schools where they spend most of their time.”
Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, voted no on the bill, saying it was adding too many groups of individuals who would be armed in schools.
“How many guns are going to be enough? There are other approaches that have broad support across the state … things like addressing the safe storage of firearms. Better mental health care access and threat assessment teams in schools,” he said, adding that protecting children was one of the most important things adults could grapple with.
For the last few years, House Minority Leader Shawn Hornbuckle has sponsored a bill that looks to expand mental health resources in schools.
Under House Bill 4248, the pilot program would, among several things, provide mental health resources for students referred to discipline and offer services to the student’s family members.
While lawmakers and the state have made some investments into kids’ mental health in the last few years, not every school has a full-time counselor or licensed social worker. Outside of school, the state has a shortage of child mental health care providers, particularly in rural counties.
“It’s a priority for me,” said Hornbuckle, D-Cabell. “Mental health has always been an issue, and we need to focus on it more. COVID really highlighted that our system has been able to address these issues.”
His measure hasn’t made it onto a committee agenda this session and he plans to ask House Speaker Roger Hanshaw to push for it.
Citing a shortage in law enforcement in the state, Republican lawmakers are looking to arm teachers and retired law enforcement in schools to bolster school safety.
If their proposals are successful this legislative session, there’d be four groups of people in total who could carry guns in schools.
Lawmakers’ efforts come amid a nationwide rise in school shootings, and the state hasn’t put continuous money toward filling in the officer gaps.
Not every county has a school resource officer, or SRO — positions usually held by current or retired police officers who perform threat surveillance duties, respond to safety threats and more. There are also prevention resource officers, PROs, who are grant funded.
Lawmakers have said the state’s law enforcement staffing shortage contributed to the lack of officers in schools.
“We are looking at a real dilemma, and a real state of emergency in regards to the safety of our children,” said Del. David Kelly, R-Tyler, on Wednesday. “If we don’t have enough officers in the state … If some counties can’t afford to place an officer in the school, then we are left with difficult decisions.”
House Bill 4851, would allow public and private schools to employ retired law enforcement officers as armed security. The officers would be known as school safety officers. The House signed off on that after amending it to remove training about systemic racism; the bill is now in the Senate for consideration.
Another measure, House Bill 4299, would allow teachers, administrators and support personnel to conceal carry on school grounds after completing a background check and training. They’d be known as school protection officers. The bill passed out of the Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday.
“There were 38 school shootings last year in the United States. We’ve been fortunate not to have one here,” Del. Scot Heckert, R-Wood, told lawmakers. “If we don’t do something, some of the people in this room who have kids and grandkids are not going to have them.”
Dr. Jim McJunkin with the West Virginia Academy of Pediatrics told lawmakers that a recent survey found that armed adults “frequently mishandle their guns in schools.” In one instance, a teacher’s loaded gun fell from his waistband during a cartwheel.
McJunkin is also a volunteer with the state chapter of Moms Demand Action.
“Yesterday’s vote is another example of how the gun lobby’s ‘guns everywhere’ agenda has poisoned our lawmakers’ understanding of school safety,” he said in an email. “Firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and teens, and instead of doing anything to protect our children, our lawmakers want to put more guns in the schools where they spend most of their time.”
Del. Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, voted no on the bill, saying it was adding too many groups of individuals who would be armed in schools.
“How many guns are going to be enough? There are other approaches that have broad support across the state … things like addressing the safe storage of firearms. Better mental health care access and threat assessment teams in schools,” he said, adding that protecting children was one of the most important things adults could grapple with.
For the last few years, House Minority Leader Shawn Hornbuckle has sponsored a bill that looks to expand mental health resources in schools.
Under House Bill 4248, the pilot program would, among several things, provide mental health resources for students referred to discipline and offer services to the student’s family members.
While lawmakers and the state have made some investments into kids’ mental health in the last few years, not every school has a full-time counselor or licensed social worker. Outside of school, the state has a shortage of child mental health care providers, particularly in rural counties.
“It’s a priority for me,” said Hornbuckle, D-Cabell. “Mental health has always been an issue, and we need to focus on it more. COVID really highlighted that our system has been able to address these issues.”
His measure hasn’t made it onto a committee agenda this session and he plans to ask House Speaker Roger Hanshaw to push for it.