Some Hamilton Ohio school staff will carry firearms
HAMILTON OH July 2 2018 – Some staff members in the Hamilton Schools may be allowed to have guns on campus provided they are fully trained.
And students may be subjected to more unannounced, random searches with portable metal detectors – wands – beginning with the upcoming school year.
Hamilton joins Butler County’s Madison and Edgewood schools in those efforts as school security moves to the forefront locally and nationally following increasing numbers of school shootings – CNN reported 23 school shootings through the end of May, just this year.
“There’s nothing more precious than our students,’’ said Tom Alf, a former Hamilton High School principal who now sits on the school board. “We have to do whatever we can to protect them.”
Staff members would only be allowed to have guns on school grounds after undergoing the same firearms training police receive, said Superintendent Larry Knapp. They would also have to meet other criteria and it would be on a voluntary basis.
“The level of training our civilians would have to have would approach the level of training police receive – we’re setting high standards. It would be way beyond the training to carry a concealed weapon,’’ Knapp said.
“When you get into a shooter situation, it’s one of very high stress. We want to have absolute confidence they’re able to handle that situation. They’d be under constant scrutiny.”
Knapp estimated that out of a staff of approximately 1,100 he only knew of two individuals who might qualify – once they had additional training.
“We’ve had discussions … with Hamilton police since February – what requirements, what training,” Knapp said. “Everything we do (security) is vetted through the Hamilton Police Department.”
Ideal candidates to receive permission to carry a firearm on campus would be someone with a military or law enforcement background who passes background checks and other criteria, Knapp said.
He said it would be difficult to have armed civilians in the schools by the start of the upcoming school year. Notices are going on today to staff members who would have to volunteer to carry a gun, and then go through the evaluation and training process.
Metal detecting wands have been used in the district for several years at specific events, Knapp said. The change is that they could be used more frequently and when they would be used wouldn’t be announced in advance.
The move to use metal detectors and arm civilians by the Hamilton, Madison – scene of a 2016 shooting – and Edgewood schools is one applauded by Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones.
Edgewood has had a policy in place for five years that allowed armed staff members but to date volunteers haven’t stepped forward.
Earlier this week Jones began a billboard campaign with the first one targeting the Hamilton Schools, in an effort to push pressure on school districts to be more proactive in security measures.
“At this point, there are three school districts in Butler County that are going to be a hard target (for a school shooting). I’m pleased – as long as they follow through,’’ Jones said.
“I believe their school system will be as safe as it can be if they implement those changes. I believe the best scenario is to have a school resource officer in every single building.”
This week the school board voted to add two school resource officers to the five now assigned at the district’s secondary buildings. The board also agreed to join a newly formed county school financing district that plans to put a 1.5-mill levy on the Nov. 6 ballot that can only be used for school safety, security, and mental health expenses.
Cincinnati.com
