The New York State Sheriffs’ Association wants an armed officer in every single school in New York.
They are calling upon the State to include funding in the 2018 budget to provide enough for at least one armed school resource officer (SRO) at every grade school and high school.
The proposal comes on the heels of last week’s deadly mass shooting in Florida that claimed the lives of 17 people.
“We spend many millions of dollars to protect a relatively small number of judges across the state, as we should. Surely we can also find the money to protect our most defenseless people—the children we send off to school each day,” Sheriff Virts continued.
The cost of the proposal would be similar to adding one teacher to every school, the association said.
Sheriff Virts said the officers will provide an armed police presence to deter possible attackers, while at the same time building strong relationships with the school community. He pointed out that the number of SROs have dropped due to reduced local funding.
Washington County Sheriff Jeff Murphy, a strong advocate for SROs in his county agreed with the sheriff.
“Sadly, many times when law enforcement arrives at the scene of a school shooting, everything is over and all the police officers can do is help the survivors. With an armed officer on duty in the school, such an attack may be deterred, or at least terminated quickly and hopefully without loss of life” Murphy said, according to the news release.
President Donald Trump offered up an alternative and cost-effective solution: training and arming teachers with concealed carry.
