Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association Offers School Safety Suggestions to State Lawmakers
Friday, March 16th, 2018 -- 8:01 AM
-The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association has sent a letter to Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature on what they believe would be effective methods of preventing a school shooting here in Wisconsin.The letter was sent in response to the discussion in the Wisconsin Legislature about creating a series of bills meant to keep Wisconsin students safe. This discussion came about because of the rash of school shootings around the nation in 2018 and the steady increase of shooting in the past 20 years. The letter states: “The devastating shootings in our schools by troubled youth is the new reality. The thousands of men and women in the law enforcement community across our state, see day to day, how violence and crime increase due to a lack of services for those in need of urgent mental health services and easy access to guns. The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association representing law enforcement leaders in 700 communities across our state, urge careful consideration of policies that the Wisconsin legislature and Governor Walker endorse to make our schools safer.”
Some suggestions the WCPA made in regards to school safety include violence in schools cannot be solved with arming teachers; sufficient funds should be allocated to increase the number of school resource officers who are fully trained law enforcement officers; sufficient funds should be allocated for school security improvements and sufficient funds should be allocated for mental health services for teachers, students, and kids who need help.
Some other suggestions include increase funding for more anti-bullying programs in our schools; provide authority and additional funding for the Department of Justice; require schools to submit their building blue print plans to local law enforcement agencies to be used as a tactical tool; provide sufficient funding for school crisis teams to evaluate threats in schools before they become actual threats; require Universal Background Checks for all gun purchases; mandate mental health background checks for anyone under the age of 21; create a lethal violence protective order process in Wisconsin and reinstate a 48-hour waiting period for gun purchases that was repealed in 2015 or extend to 72 hours or three days.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.