Crime commission panel makes school safety recommendations

RALEIGH, N.C. — A state criminal justice panel is urging more police training, building vulnerability assessments and school violence data to help make North Carolina's K-12 schools safer.

A special committee within the Governor's Crime Commission released its report Thursday, with more than 30 recommendations addressing school safety following last February's school shootings in Florida.

The panel of law enforcement, court and local government officials and nonprofit leaders didn't recommend any broad gun-control legislation. But it did ask lawmakers to create a method for a court to order guns be taken temporarily from people determined to be dangers to themselves or their communities. The report also seeks more emphasis on putting police officers in elementary schools.

The special committee on school shootings has been meeting since April to figure out how to better protect schools.

The committee thinks there needs to be better officer training on responding to active shooters and that that elementary schools should get school resource officers, which right now are limited to middle and high schools.

That is going to cost money, but Judy Kidd of the Classroom Teachers Association believes it's well worth it.

"I think North Carolina needs to step up to the bar and do what's necessary in order to help local school districts harden their schools against attack, and they need to step up with legislation,” Kidd said.

The Legislature approved school safety provisions last year. House members held school safety meetings statewide last fall.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools started making drastic security improvements after the shooting at Butler High School three months ago.

Each day, schools at random are chosen by officers for screenings.

Teams go in using hand-held metal detectors and check students one by one.

These surprise inspections are unannounced.

Associated Press