Measure to put armed officers in schools advances
Assembly bill draws opposition of ACLU and teachers union.
SACRAMENTO — Armed law enforcement officers would be assigned to all school campuses in California at state expense under a measure that advanced Wednesday in response to a series of recent mass shootings across the country.
The measure by Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) was recommended Wednesday by the Assembly Education Committee, which eliminated a proposal that would have allowed private security guards to be used on campuses.
“Why not have these individuals at every school in the state to ensure that there will be someone there [to stop shooting incidents]?” Gallagher asked the panel. “We need to have a first line of defense.”
As for the cost, which has not been calculated, Gallagher said: “I don’t think you can put a price on it when it comes to peace of mind, when it comes to our kids.”
Approval of the measure comes after a shooting last month that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Some California campuses already have school safety officers, but many schools cannot afford the extra security.
The American Civil Liberties Union of California and the California Teachers Assn. oppose the bill, AB 2067. Kathy Sher of the ACLU said armed guards on campuses will make students feel like they are in detention centers, not places of learning.
“Putting guns in schools in the hands of security guards or school resource officers will make schools less safe, not more safe,” Sher told the panel.
Opponents also cited incidents at other schools where armed law enforcement officers got involved in disciplinary matters and used excessive force.
But Gallagher cited an incident earlier in the week at a Maryland high school in which an armed school safety officer stopped a student who had shot two other students.
The measure passed out of committee on a 4-0 vote, with support also coming from Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale), a retired California Highway Patrol officer.
“This is a very disturbing problem in our society,” Lackey said of school shootings. “It’s not OK to leave our children defenseless, and that’s what we’ve done.”
The bill has to go through a fiscal committee before it reaches the Assembly floor.