BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – A plan by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to let principals and other administrators store weapons on campus so they can respond to shootings drew mixed reactions Thursday, with an education group expressing support and the NAACP calling it “the absolute worst idea.”
Ivey’s “School Sentry Program” would allow administrators in schools that do not have a law enforcement officer on campus to access a weapon kept in a fingerprint-controlled safe.
This Jan. 9, 2018, file photo shows Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who is proposing a plan to let school administrators store guns in locked safes on campus. Ivey wants school principals and other administrators to be able to access a weapon stored on campus. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)Principals or other administrators who pass required testing, qualify as sheriff’s deputies and have weapons permits would receive specially marked, bullet-proof vests to wear during a school shooting so police wouldn’t mistake them for a killer.
Ivey’s office said the program is voluntary and school systems can decide whether to participate, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will oversee training.
The Alabama Association of School Boards said that while having trained school resource officers is the “optimal first line of defense” and arming school personnel isn’t a long-term solution, it recognizes Ivey’s desire to move quickly to protect children.