Kids are back in school, and unfortunately, with ready and easy access to firearms and the lack of emotional maturity and decision-making that comes with age. Teachers and administrators must remain watchful for signs of potential threats within their buildings for their students.
Violence in schools has escalated to the point where shooters have grown up with active shooter drills, and a new study shows that the drills aren’t just ineffective, but Georgia Institute of Technology’s Social Dynamics and Wellbeing Lab found that the long-term effects were that these drills led to higher rates of depression, anxiety, and increased fear of death among teachers, students, and others in the community rather than preparing them to deal with what was once the unthinkable.
Lancaster County, California, saw a loaded firearm discovery in a student’s backpack on the first day of school. Another student saw it, and reported it.
In LaGrange, Georgia, a loaded firearm was found in a female student’s purse. An anonymous tip from a parent led to the discovery.
In another Georgia city, Columbus, a new rule went into effect at a local high school banning backpacks because only two days into the new school year, a firearm was discovered in a student’s backpack. So much for the bulletproof backpacks and inserts that were recommended to save our children’s lives.
In a news release, officials from one of the incidents said that administration and student witnesses should be commended for their actions. That safe schools are dependent upon good communication and trust. However, there’s more that can be done.
It’s everyone’s job if “they see something to say something”, but this puts a weighty onus of responsibility not just on educators who are there to primarily educate our children, not do law enforcement’s jobs, and on the students themselves. Our children should be the ones being protected, not doing the protecting.
Global K9 Protection Group’s Paws on Patrol School Safety Program is the community partnership solution. Our Explosive Detection Dogs with Enhanced Firearms Capability enhance learning by being active, present and visible on campuses. In addition to being another layer of deterrence that could prevent a student from bringing a weapon to school These dogs can reduce stress and enhance confidence in student safety, all while contributing to the overall mission of keeping our schools safe.
To find out more about our dogs, our handlers, and our program as a whole, or to collaborate on safety strategy, reach out to Mike Larkin here.
