Ga. Senate approves bill for public schools to conduct intruder drills, gang identification training

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Georgia state Senators have approved a bill that will require every public school in Georgia to conduct intruder drills and gang identification training.

The Georgia Senate voted 52-3 on Georgia House Hill 147 on Monday, sending it to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for his signature.

Channel 2′s Richard Elliot first told you about the bill on Friday for Channel 2 Action News at 4:00 p.m. when he spoke with the lawmaker who wrote the act.

“This is going to help encourage schools to update their school safety plan,” Rep. Will Wade (R-Dawsonville) said.

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The bill requires all public schools in Georgia to conduct intruder drills. Students are required to participate, but districts could allow parents to opt their children out.

“It’s a sad commentary on where we are not, but you still want to have the kids safe. I’m a little older, so when I was in school, you didn’t have all of this, but now, it’s just a different time now,” DeKalb County parent Jarvis Hampton told Elliot.

Elliot also spoke with Timothy Martin Sr. His son, Timothy Jr., goes to a DeKalb Elementary School.

He’s all for the bill, but also worries those intruder drills will scare kids like his son.

“To me, personally, it’s a need for everything that’s going on, but at the same time, it might scare him. That’s what I’m worried about,” Martin Sr. said.

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The bill also requires schools to submit a safety play to Georgia Emergency Management and homeland Security and trains school employees to recognize gang activity, which is considered a big problem in schools across the state.

Some state Democrats opposed the gang section of the bill, saying it could lead to students being singled out over their race.

“I am concerned that identification-focused training could result in racial profiling of students, and it could increase their likelihood that they’ll be exposed to the criminal justice system,” said Sen. Nikki Merritt (D-Grayson.)

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The Associated Press contributed to this article.