This is what can happen when you place politics over solutions. As the nation continues to wrestle with the prevalence of school shootings, real people are being harmed because too many local and state governments are prioritizing legislation that would do nothing to protect schoolchildren instead of being willing to take action to enact real solutions that would safeguard the most vulnerable.
The Denver Public Schools district in Colorado faced a heated debate recently regarding the presence of police officers on school campuses. In 2020, following nationwide protests over police mistreatment of people of color, the school board voted unanimously to remove the district’s police officers from 18 middle and high schools. Similar steps were taken in school districts across the nation as anti-police and anti-gunner activists and leaders exploited the murder of George Floyd to bring about these changes.
However, a series of violent incidents, including a student being shot outside East High School and a shooting by a student inside the school, sparked fears and demands from parents, teachers, and students for the return of campus police. After months of deliberation and community meetings, the school board voted 4-3 to bring back armed officers, acknowledging that the decision wouldn’t satisfy everyone but emphasizing the need to address the growing gun violence and ensure the safety of students and staff:
Public schools Superintendent Alex Marrero stood at the hospital bed of a 14-year-old boy who had been struck in the face by a stray bullet across the street from East High School.
A dispute among a group of teenagers had escalated into gunfire on Sept. 7, a few weeks into the start of the school year. The injured boy, who couldn’t speak, wrote down a question to Marrero: “Why did I get shot?”
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Denver school authorities would by the end of the school year catch 16 students around the city bringing guns to campus, a five-year high. The district’s board of education had decided to remove Denver police officers from campuses the year before Marrero arrived. He wondered what it would take for them to change their mind.
The boy’s shooting was the first act of violence that marked two turbulent semesters at East High, the district’s flagship campus. The school occupies a century-old four-story brick building, where hallways are lined with state championship trophies, academic honors and photos of famous alumni, including Don Cheadle and members of the musical group Earth, Wind & Fire.
By spring, fears among teachers, students and parents erupted at town-hall and school board meetings. Again and again, one issue stood above all, dividing the community: Please bring back campus police. On the other side: Please, no police.
Denver Superintendent Alex Marrero, who had taken the job in 2021, was deeply affected by the incidents of violence and felt a responsibility to protect the students. He had initially opposed the return of police but changed his stance in the face of the shootings, acknowledging that the events should not have happened under his watch.
Marrero developed a safety plan that recommended allowing schools to decide whether to station police on campus, aiming to balance the concerns of those who felt targeted by law enforcement and those who sought enhanced security measures. The decision to bring back campus police in Denver reflects a trend seen in other districts across the United States that initially removed police from schools but later reinstated them due to concerns over increasing gun violence and the need for student safety.
These are the type of tragic stories I hate reading about. It is one thing for children to lose their lives to gun violence; it is even worse when at least some of those deaths could have been prevented by having armed personnel present at the scene. While anti-gunner politicians and activists use these tragedies to advocate for disarming the public, children are dying needlessly when there are effective methods that can be employed to protect our children.
Having armed security on campus and implementing comprehensive security measures is a crucial step toward ensuring the safety of students and preventing school shootings. Armed security personnel provide a visible deterrent to potential attackers, making them think twice before carrying out their harmful intentions. The presence of trained professionals who can respond swiftly to a crisis can save lives and minimize the harm caused during an emergency situation.
Mass shooters intend to kill as many people as possible when carrying out their sprees. If they know they will be put down before they maximize the casualties, they will be less likely to attack. Even if they do, having armed guards on campus gives potential victims more of a chance to survive than if there is nobody there to protect them.
Moreover, security measures that go beyond gun control legislation can address the root causes of school shootings and provide a multi-faceted approach to prevention. These measures can include implementing threat assessment protocols to identify and intervene with students who display concerning behavior or signs of potential violence. Enhanced security measures can also involve improved access control systems, such as metal detectors and surveillance cameras, which can help identify and prevent the entry of weapons onto school premises.
Fortunately, school districts in red states are pouring money and resources into hardening their schools, while those in blue states insist on leaving children vulnerable to attack while they concoct new and creative ways to disarm lawful citizens. This means more children – at least in red states – will be safer because they have adults around them who understand that solving problems is more important than meaningless politicking.