Schools Across The Nation Ramping Up Security
Districts across the nation are ramping up school security, as more copycat threats are being made in the wake of the Uvalde school shooting.
It has been a tragically historic, short year for gun violence in schools across America. Last week, one of the deadliest school shootings ever occurred in the small town of Uvalde, Texas, where a gunman shot and killed 19 fourth graders and 2 teachers. Fear and sorrow have stricken communities, as parents, educators, and students alike express more anxiety than ever, as they finish out the school year. In wake of the increasing incidents involving mass shootings across America, school districts across the nation are ramping up security in an effort to better protect faculty and students.
One of the worst parts about mass shootings lies in the aftermath, as it is common for copycat threats to pop up. As usual, The Associated Press reported that this happened in the subsequent aftermath of the Uvalde Elementary school shooting last week, as schools across America reported an uptick in similar threats. In swift action, many districts took no time to increase school security, making sure not to dismiss even the unlikeliest of threats.
In Los Alamos, New Mexico, parents and students were greeted at school entrances by police officers for the first time ever. Jake Green, the father of a 7-year-old who attends an elementary school in the district is unsure about whether or not the added police presence makes him feel safer about sending his daughter to school. Many others are feeling this way, especially now that new reports show that police officers in Uvalde, Texas stood idly by for more than an hour while the gunman was still actively killing students inside the barricaded classrooms last week. Fathers like Jake are unsure that more authorities are the best answer to increase school security.
No stranger to mass shootings, school districts in El Paso, Texas have also increased measures in school security over the last week. The school district already has its own police department, but they have increased the number of patrols happening at each school. Instead of focusing on traffic monitoring around the campuses, they are now on the grounds of the schools in an increased presence. Furthermore, visitors to schools are now required to ring a doorbell and show identification before being given entry into buildings.
In Buffalo, where a gunman opened fire inside a grocery store, killing 10 people just a little over two weeks ago, schools are invoking strict school security policies in wake of the Texas school shooting. Effective immediately, absolutely no visitors will be allowed to enter school buildings without approval ahead of time. This includes building access for parents, siblings, and all school vendors.
Other districts are ramping up school security in different manners. In Jacksonville, Florida, a school district banned any type of bag from being brought into school, including backpacks. And when a similar threat was made to another Texas school about 200 miles away from Uvalde, school officials decided to abruptly end the school year early in an effort to keep children safe.
While school districts across the nation are scrambling up quick-fix ways to increase school security, lawmakers are also diligently looking to enact laws to increase safety measures in schools. Democratic lawmakers are pushing for much stricter gun laws and looking to ban assault rifle sales. But on the other hand, Republican lawmakers are looking to enact new laws that would “harden schools” and make them less impermeable to gunmen.
