Should Teachers, Staff Be Allowed to Carry Guns on Campus?
Very few CCW permit holders have thwarted an active shooter attack.
Some states and local jurisdictions are considering or have already passed laws allowing teachers, faculty and other campus staff to carry firearms on campus. Additionally, the National Rifle Association (NRA) is recommending this as a step to improve school security. But is this a good idea? To find out, Campus Safety magazine interviewed Kent State PD’s Lt. Joe Hendry, who frequently provides training to K-12 districts in the state of Ohio on active shooter response.
“I’m neither for nor against guns on campus,” he said. “I can see a possibility for it, but how do you decide who gets to carry, what do they carry and what training do they have? You are talking about training a teacher to the same level as a SWAT officer. This is not shooting targets on a range. These are moving in a very active environment. How you train to shoot in that environment is very important.”
Hendry also claims that very few Carry Concealed Weapon (CCW) permit holders have prevented or thwarted an active shooter attack.
“Their hearts are in the right place, but their training is not,” he said.
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- Teachers Union: NRA Proposal Won’t Keep Kids, Schools Safe
- More Guns On Campus Won’t Make Schools More Secure
- Common Misconceptions About Armed Officers at Schools
- Obama and the NRA’s School Security Plans Are Both Right… and Wrong
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About the Author
Robin Hattersley, Editor-in-Chief
Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.
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