NAPLES, Fla. – Armed law enforcement officers could be at every school in the U.S. with new legislation.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) formally introduced the School Guardian Act that proposes having armed law enforcement officers at every K-12 school in the U.S.
Scott said during an event at the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in Naples the legislation create a block grant program by the U.S. Department of Justice to hire one or more officers for full-time security at the schools.
“It’s going to put law enforcement in every single school across the country. It’s common sense and it’s going to save lives,” Scott said.
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Scott said the money would be reallocated from $80 billion assigned to the Internal Revenue Service.
“Look around the country, we don’t need those IRS agents. What we need is more law enforcement agents. We need more law enforcement across the country,” he said.
He was joined by parents of students who were victims in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, law enforcement officers and elected officials, including Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk.
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“No family should have to endure the heartbreak that we still go through to this day, so it’s essential that when student and teachers go to school, they know safety is their top priority,” said Tom Hoyer, a parent whose son was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Another parent, Ryan Petty, reiterated the importance of student safety.
“If we can’t prevent them, then we know that having an armed response on campus is the fastest way to stop the killing,” Petty said.
Scott suggested an “automatic death penalty” should be considered for school shooters after three children and three adults were killed at a Christian elementary school in Nashville last month.
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