Texas City, Texas School District Arms Security Guards With AR-15s
Texas City TX Feb 23 2019 Last May, a deranged student entered Santa Fe High School in Texas and opened fire. Ten people were killed and 10 others were injured. The weapon of choice for the gunman was a .38 caliber revolver.
Over the last year, the nearby town of Texas City is implementing a radical new plan to protect students from potential future attacks: tracking students with computer chips, using facial recognition software to monitor whoever enters the school, and arming security guards with AR-15s, the weapon of choice for most school massacres.
“Some of the measures have already been implemented. Students and staff wear radio frequency identification cards, capable of tracking their whereabouts in school. They’ve lined glass doors with intrusion filming, making them impact resistant.”
The plan is the brainchild of former Secret Service agent Mike Matranga, who served in the agency for more than a decade.
“What we’re trying to do is buy time, and by buying time and by having a deputy on campus or multiple deputies on campus, that time allows our deputies to respond and do their job,” Matranga explained.
Every deputy assigned to stave off a would-be assailant is armed with AR-15’s, which are stored in a safe. Matranga said he is “a firm believer that we fight firepower with superior firepower.”
Texas City Independent School District Superintendent Rodney Cavness said the initiative began last year after residents approved a measure allocating $6.5 million in funds for improvements in school safety and security.
“We’re not playing around. This isn’t some kind of little game to us. We put a lot of time, money, and effort into this,” Cavness said.
The comprehensive Texas City school safety improvement plan is controversial, to say the least.
Some people feel the school district’s actions constitute government overreach.
Texas City Independent School District implemented several upgrades including facial recognition technology, tracking ID’s, and 22 AR-15s.