Granny, get your gun.
Senator Marsha Blackburn says grandparents could join a force of armed military vets and retired police officers to protect schools from shootings.
The Tennessee Republican made the suggestion during an interview with Fox News about her SAFE School Act, which would supply $900 million to "harden schools" with more security.
Blackburn said the proposal, which she introduced after the deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville in March, would allow local school systems and local law enforcement to work together to bring in veterans and retired law enforcement to serve as security officers at a school.
"They know how to use weapons. They know to de-escalate situations. I've talked to a lot of them. They like this idea," she said. "They are grandparents like we are — my husband and I are grandparents — and they want to be there to help protect children."
Blackburn said it was "unseemly" that Democrats would reject her idea.
"Everybody should be for the SAFE School Act," she continued. "They should want to do this tomorrow... to keep our children safe."
The proposal isn't just about arming guards, Blackburn said, but providing funds to install cameras in schools and provide staff to watch the cameras, along with bulletproof doors, ballistic film on windows and automatic locking mechanisms, among other things.
"As a mother and a grandmother, I worry about this every single day," she said. "We have to find a way to say 'How are we going to keep people safe in the public space?' and a great starting part is the SAFE School Act. And for the Democrats to be against this is something that I cannot imagine why anybody would oppose the SAFE School Act in keeping children safe."
Under the SAFE School Act, states will be allowed to establish and implement a certification program that allows for veterans and former law enforcement officers to become certified school safety officers. States may use the grant funds to hire off duty law enforcement officers as school safety officers. Schools can also utilize the funding to increase training for teachers, enhance the physical security of the school, conduct threat assessments, and purchase equipment for school safety officers.
Related
Related
