Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has proposed legislation that would spend $1.5 billion to put law enforcement officers in schools across the country, as part of an initiative to enhance school safety following last month’s shooting in South Florida.
The Protect America’s Schools Act, which Meadows proposed Tuesday, would direct the money to the Community Oriented Policing Services’ School Resource Officer program.
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He also proposed a second bill, the Veterans Securing School Act, which would permit veterans who have been hired by a state or local agency to serve as school resource officers, and give more leniency to law enforcement agencies for hiring veterans in this niche officer role.
Meadows said these approaches, and not limiting access to guns, are the best way to address school violence.
“Our country is in the midst of a defining moment where we have an opportunity to come together and develop common sense solutions to safeguard our children in school. While gun control is not the answer, the best and most effective path forward, I believe, is one that safeguards our schools from becoming ‘soft targets,’ or areas with little to stand in the way of someone with bad intentions,” Meadows said in a statement.
The Protect America’s Schools Act was first proposed in 2013, and Meadows said changes to the original one were influenced by sheriff’s departments and law enforcement officers in his home state.
Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald, who attended President Trump’s recent White House meeting on gun control and school safety, endorsed Meadows’ plans.
“As counties like ours look at the myriad of options to improve school safety, this initial funding for School Resource Officers is a great step to ensure that our local governments have access to the funding they need should they determine that increased officer presence is one facet of the strategy they want to adopt,” McDonald said in a statement.
