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Opinion: We need to revamp school security, implement meticulous training for law enforcement and address the problem of broken homes.
By Eli Crane opinion contributor Arizona Republic: Eli Crane is a former U.S. Navy SEAL and an America First candidate for Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
In the wake of the appalling school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and two teachers were brutally executed, many uncomfortable truths need to be addressed and difficult questions asked.
Predictably, many on the left politicized and weaponized the tragedy to call for gun control. As we have seen unfold in countless tragedies, criminals will do whatever is necessary to harm innocent people, whether a truck, knife, homemade bomb or gun.
Instead of punishing law-abiding citizens and emboldening criminals who break the law regardless of legislative action, we must take a more comprehensive look at what is causing evil to triumph over good.
To protect our children, we need to revamp the security of school facilities, implement meticulous training programs for law enforcement officers, and address the root causes of violence embedded in our culture.
School security should be a top priority
As a former Navy SEAL with three wartime deployments to Iraq, I understand the unique safety threats we face on the homefront. This issue is also deeply personal to me, as I was involved in implementing upgraded security measures in my daughter’s school. These steps would all save more innocent children and teachers’ lives than targeting the weapon of choice.
Campus safety:Why measures to make schools safer often go undone
We must immediately invest in commonsense security reform. The voices of parents must also be considered. School administrators must sit down with them and lay out comprehensive standard operating procedures to ensure primary and contingency plans.
Ensure there is a plan for an active shooter and an armed guard or school resource officer.
Establish a solid perimeter, wall or fence of considerable height around the school.
Establish trauma bags with tourniquets, bandages and other lifesaving gear around the campus and train staff members regarding medical best practices.
Clearly identify primary entrance or exit points and have metal detectors or security controls to prevent unwanted intruders and weapons.
Create a monitored, contemporary camera system that captures the majority of the campus and its surroundings.
Ensure that classrooms and auditoriums have sufficient locking mechanisms if a lockdown is necessary.
Verify that windows can be quickly blacked out to block visibility of students and teachers’ locations in the classroom.
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Families have deteriorated. That has consequences
Essential to all of this is accountability for decision-makers and cohesion between schools and law enforcement. Accordingly, here are some questions that need to be answered:
