Security consultant suggests alternative to arming teachers in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The last month has been filled with debate after a controversial measure, now signed into law, allowing Tennessee school districts to arm teachers. One local security expert feels there are better ways to help protect schools.
As a Nashvillian, JC Shegog remembers the Covenant School shooting well. As a security consultant, with experience in the Army and as a contractor with the Department of Defense, he still has questions over school security more than a year after the deadly mass shooting.
“We just had children and adults get killed, and they’re still not, in my opinion, being serious about this,” Shegog said.
Gov. Bill Lee signs bill allowing armed teachers in schools
In late April, Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a measure allowing school districts to permit teachers to conceal carry on school grounds. Proponents pointed out the bill requires background checks, psychological evaluations, and 40 hours of firearms training, adding that it may help in rural districts struggling to hire school resource officers (SROs).
“That’s what we want more than anything, is to add an additional tool, an additional option for our kids to be as safe as possible in schools,” Lee said.
However, Shegog pointed to concerns over teachers carrying guns around children.
No Tennessee school district has announced plans to arm teachers yet
“For the purposes of protection, you can’t have it in a lockbox, you can’t have it somewhere where you can’t reach it; it has to be where you can get it when you need it, and that is on your person,” he said.
Shegog also explained the mental shift of someone learning to carry a weapon for protection, a role he feels requires someone’s sole focus.
“Now, your teacher and protector, especially in public schools, are going to have to learn to shut one off and turn the other one on, and that’s unheard of, when we already have people who are mentally designed and equipped and volunteering to be protectors,” Shegog said.
Instead of the resources it would take to train and arm teachers, Shegog suggested beefing up security teams already in place, viewing them more like security on a college campus.
“The colleges have a security department, and they have different people in different areas throughout the day, and then you have a supervisor, you have a rover. These are the things that are ideal for a security team,” Shegog said.
At the end of the day, he hopes districts will at least see if they can enhance their current security teams before looking at arming teachers.
Read the latest from the TN State Capitol Newsroom
Last year, the state of Tennessee did approve $140 million to go towards hiring armed officers in public schools. Even with that, the bill’s Senate sponsor said the legislation was designed to help rural districts who may struggle to hire SROs.
So far, no districts have openly announced plans to arm their teachers.
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