Lancaster, N.Y. (WBEN) - Congressman Chris Jacobs was joined by follow colleague Lee Zeldin in Lancaster on Friday in a call for added security measures for schools across the country.
Given the actions of Tuesday's mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, as well as the shooting at the Tops Friendly Market in Buffalo nearly two weeks ago, Jacobs believes it is paramount to enhance security at schools to provide parents, students and teachers peace of mind.
"While the investigation into Texas is still ongoing and more will come to light, my colleagues and I are looking forward right now to how we can better ensure safety in our schools across the board," said Jacobs at the VFW Post 7275 in Lancaster. "Many ideas have been discussed, some implemented this week as well by the Buffalo School District, which I served for seven-and-a-half years. These include single points of entry, a proper identification and the credentials to gain access to schools, pre-confirmation of all visitors, keycard access systems, updated camera systems, bulletproof glass and metal detectors."
Along with enhanced security measures inside and outside the school, Jacobs is also calling for the implementation of additional School Resource Officers (SROs) in all school districts in New York State and the nation.
"In my mind, they provide a two-fold benefit," Jacobs detailed. "First, it is an armed, trained police officer who is in the school and can respond to a dangerous situation accordingly. This not only includes the situations involving a firearm, but also regards to gang violence, drugs in schools, sex offenders outside the perimeter. Resource Officers help address a plethora of dangerous children's face. Second, it helps our goal of building healthier relationships between our police and our community."
"The need for School Resource Officers is undisputable," added Zeldin on Friday. "We have trained professionals who are highly capable to courageously respond to be trained to prepare others to communicate with law enforcement in the event of an emergency. It's important for all school districts throughout the State of New York to have School Resource Officers in it. It's important that all of our schools are trained."
Being a former member of the Buffalo School Board, Jacobs says he got to see first-hand the benefits of having SROs on school grounds. Not only do they provide a trained officer to protect the well-being of those in the district, but also be a deterrent for others to engage in any harmful activity inside or outside of the school.
"Being properly prepared is the best way to prevent the tragedy, and sometimes for shooters, they target particular locations because they feel like they will meet little to no resistance. It would send a strong message not just for the need to secure a school, but to a potential shooter that if they were to enter one of these facilities that they would likely to encounter resistance," Zeldin said. "Unfortunately, some of our schools have become targets, and that needs to stop."
While Jacobs recognizes that providing more SROs for school districts is an investment, he's already taken action in Congress to try and make sure schools across the U.S. are in better hands.
"I have already introduced legislation in the House to fund additional School Resource Officers," Jacobs said. "My legislation, the School Resource Officer Act, would re-authorize the Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services - COPS program - to $500 million each fiscal year from 2023 to 2026. Approximately 30% of the cops' hiring funds would be designed to pay for School Resource Officers' salaries and benefits."
With the pressing urgency around the country to help schools feel more safe and secure from potential danger, Jacobs is urging Congress to take immediate action and pass this bill.
"Now more than ever, our students and their parents are seeking reassurance that their local schools are safe, and that law enforcement officers are there to protect them in emergencies," he said. "Both sides of the aisle agree we should do something to protect our students and our kids. This is not time for finger-pointing and politicization. This is time to take meaningful steps to ensure every school across America is secure from people who wish them harm. We all agree on the need for increased security in our schools. So let's act."
More commentary from Jacobs and Zeldin is available in the player below: