Florida Program Arming and Training Civilians to Battle School Shooters

Source: The Daily Beast

The sheriff’s office in Polk County, Florida, is training a troupe of armed “guardians,” or regular civilians, to protect students during the upcoming school year—a program that some critics find troubling.

“Formal officers trained to specific standards should be the law enforcement presence in schools if there’s going to be one,” Secure Schools Alliance Executive Director Robert Boyd told The Daily Beast. “You don’t just take anybody and put them in a school, particularly with a firearm.”

One of the masterminds behind the program, Sheriff Grady Judd, is an unabashed gun-rights supporter—and an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, among other hot-button issues. He was one of 12 sheriffs to meet with President Donald Trump, whom he’s called the “best ally” of law enforcement, in February.

Judd insists the civilian guardians will be well-trained—and more cost-effective than school resource officers. Potential guardians must complete background checks, psychological evaluations, and drug tests during the training process, according to the Polk County’s Sheriff Office. Over 500 people applied for the program, but only 150 people made it to the training portion, Judd told News 6... More...

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/florida-program-arming-and-training-civilians-to-battle-school-shooters/ar-AAyB3Bj

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'Polk County Schools Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd told The Daily Beast that the school board and the sheriff’s office worked together to create the program. “The guardian program was created to make sure we have someone in our schools—mainly elementary schools—that don’t currently have school resource officers,” Byrd said. None of the teachers in the school district will be armed, she added.'