The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the new federal gun safety legislation signed into law on Saturday, includes increased funding for school security and mental health programs.
Several school districts in our state have revisited their safety and security measures recently, in the wake of the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
This hour, we hear from Bridgeport Superintendent Michael Testani, who recently proposed an increase in school resource officers. Also known as SROs, they are sworn, armed police officers.
The request has met "strong opposition," the Connecticut Post reports. The number of SROs had been reduced in Bridgeport in recent years "due to budget constraints and concerns about their having a negative impact in particular on students of color."
The Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents and school security expert Kenneth Trump discuss what’s involved in a more comprehensive approach, including mental health resources, as well as where federal dollars from new gun safety legislation might be best spent.
Plus, we discuss the landmark Supreme Court decision regarding the right to carry a firearm, as well as the new federal gun safety law, with the Duke Center for Firearms Law.
GUESTS:
- Jacob D. Charles: Executive Director, Duke Center for Firearms Law; Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law
- Fran Rabinowitz: Executive Director, Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents
- Michael Testani: Superintendent, Bridgeport Public Schools
- Kenneth Trump: President, National School Safety and Security Services
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