There have been a lot of stupid trends over recent years, and TikTok is usually involved somehow. However, there is one new trend that I can get on board with. That is the trend of placing an AR-15 in every school. Earlier this year I reported on a North Carolina school district that did just that. And now, a Pennsylvania school district is doubling down by including a shotgun with the AR-15.
New Trend Developing of Placing an AR-15 in Every School
It’s not hyperbole to say that our country is going off the rails and violent crime is surging. Unfortunately, our schools are not immune to it. For this reason, many school districts are looking for ways to improve security measures and protect children. It seems this is starting a new trend of finally arming schools.
Such is the case in a Pittston area school district in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The district recently made the move to place an AR-15 and shotgun in each school.
According to PAHomePage, “In the wake of recent school shootings involving high-powered, semi-automatic weapons, the Pittston Area School District armed its school’s police officers with the same caliber weapons.”
The new policy includes all four schools in the district, and the firearms will be locked up in a safe. Pittston Area School District Superintendent Kevin Booth assured the PAHomePage that the safes have thumbprint security. As a result, only the school police officer has access to the safes. Likewise, each safe is bolted to the wall and the floor to prevent theft.
School Resource Officer Tom Kelly told the PAHomePage, “We’re armed with a handgun, a pistol. A pistol has its limitations. The number of ammunition, the distance that it could fire with precision, and that’s where an AR-15 comes into play.”
Kelly went on to say, “Each weapon has its purpose, so to have one here and available instead of having to call 911 waiting for them to arrive from other police departments, which they would, and they will, it’s just nice to know that they’re right here.”
Along with the added firearms, more security measures are also in the works at the schools. This includes door alarms that notify administration or school police officers if a door is left open for too long.
Not the First and Hopefully Not the Last
As I mentioned earlier, this seems to be a growing trend and one that I can get on board with. Since I reported on the North Carolina school district earlier this year, more have joined the commonsense approach.
Among them is the Houston Independent School District which recently added $2.3M in funding. The funding is allocated for 200 rifles, 200 ballistic shields, rifle ammunition, and two-way radios for the district’s 200 police officers. Passing with a 6-3 vote, it was met with controversy. However, fortunately, sensible heads prevailed.
Also among the newcomers is Brevard County, Florida, which is arming school officers with long guns. However, Brevard County officers take it a step further by carrying KelTec Sub 2000’s on their person for immediate access. The intent, according to Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, is to meet violence with violence.
Ivey assures parents, students, and staff, “While I pray it never happens, I can assure you that our Brevard County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Deputies are prepared to win the battle to protect our children and teachers!!”
Not to be outdone in Florida is the Indian River County School District, which has also added an AR-15 in every school. Florida River Sheriff Eric Flowers sends a message that I think reverberates with us all and is the best way to end this story:
“If they’re coming at us with an AR-15, we’re going to return with the same or greater firepower.
He concludes, “Our folks are there to protect the kids. Our folks are bringing guns, they’re the good guys. When bad guys show up with guns, they’re gonna find our guns. They’re gonna find out that we’re well prepared and that we’re prepared for that threat.”
Amen to that.
