Unfortunately America’s schools do need better protection
The fundamentals are straightforward: Americans need to recognize that, regardless of where you sit on the Second Amendment, there will be no constitutional change to the right to bear arms. There are more than 350 million firearms in the United States, and more laws or restrictions of any kind won’t help when enforcement currently fails to prevent attacks. Gun culture is engrained in American minds, whether for better or worse.
Policy solutions are forthcoming slowly. Upping the age limit to purchase a gun to 21, more rigorous background checks, including family and friends, and “dumbing down” automatic weaponry will help lower the probability of a school shooting by a few notches.
Gun laws vary from state to state, where permissive use and restrictive permission hopscotch across America. These laws may be modified thanks to evidence-based research that may help state-level policymakers define the parameters of gun control policy in their respective states. It is important to remember that the bulk of America’s school shootings are conducted by former or current students or individuals who live in the community. Examples of a shooter driving to a campus outside of an immediate area is non-existent; there is almost always a social connection.
This is why school officials — not teachers — must be given greater latitude in monitoring students’ social media accounts with sophisticated mining programs that may be able to help identify potential shooters, whose behavior and habits are well known to peers but perhaps not to school administrators or teachers. Such technology already exists, and is made in America. Use it.Banks, grocery stores and malls all take measures to enhance their ability to keep customers safe, now schools need the same approach — but without arming teachers.
Dr. Theodore Karasik
Arming teachers is not a solution except in American communities where gun culture is seen as normal and part of the community bond. There are hundreds of US school districts in America’s rural areas that already arm their teachers: Doing so in these jurisdictions is seen as part of the local culture. If local jurisdictions where gun culture is strong want to spread their program slowly over other counties, then they have the right to do so. However, this solution will clearly not work in medium to large cities.
Thus, schools in American cities need to boost their force protection. Banks, grocery stores and malls all take measures to enhance their ability to keep customers safe. Unfortunately, American schools need the same level of security and approach to safety.
Arming US school administrators or teachers is not possible; American teachers are already busy enough with the requirements of US education. Instead, applying force protection to city schools with corporate help would go some way to safeguarding America’s children, in addition to giving refined and specific readiness training. US companies must be part of the solution by funding the protection of the country’s children.
Active force protection for America’s schools is also necessary. Active defenses include fencing for the enclosure and protection of school grounds, and that can be augmented with better surveillance systems and monitoring. Although many American schools are surrounded by fencing, the practice is not universal, nor are there any set standards for the full enclosure of school properties. Each is on a case-by-case basis aimed at designing a safe space that can feature quick temporary shelter or egress during an active shooting scenario.
Controlling school pedestrian traffic is important. Funnel-flow points during school hours are a necessary and critical part of maintaining the safety of children, as school security officials can monitor walking traffic in and out of the school. During school hours, these funnel points must remain in place in order to control entry. Too often schools leave their doors wide open to anybody who may be walking by. Many schools already institute the above measures, but there needs to be a universal standard across America’s cities, giving a major update to existing security protocols.
A combination of force protection and, on a case-by-case basis, the organizing, training, and equipping of appropriate security officers (who are not cowards) is needed to protect school grounds. The failure of the law enforcement officers to stop the Florida shootings is an indictment of a failed policy to monitor and protect students.
Overall, facing trained and equipped professionals, potential shooters will not get far or even be deterred by such a presence. Although no solution on force protection is 100 percent, when combined with restricting gun sales by boosting age limits and conducting rigorous background checks, they are important first steps to satisfying immediate security and safety requirements for America’s school children and adults.
Finding a way out of America’s shooting epidemic means protective measures in the country’s schools. But arming teachers is not the solution.
- Dr. Theodore Karasik is a senior adviser to Gulf State Analytics in Washington, D.C. He is a former RAND Corporation Senior Political Scientist who lived in the UAE for 10 years, focusing on security issues. Twitter: @tkarasik
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