Mississippi Against More Armed Guards/Police in Schools

Did you know that MS is considering spending several million dollars to add armed police in every public school in MS? (SB 2659)

Or that MS may allow school staff to conceal carry guns in public schools throughout the state, without requiring these people to undergo psychological evaluations prior to bringing guns into our schools? (HB 958)

Did you know that schools are no safer with armed police/guards in schools (both Columbine and VA Tech had armed guards on the premises) and are in fact more dangerous and insecure? (see supporting evidence below)

It's Up to You: You have the power to prevent this scary reality from being imposed on our children and school staff throughout our state by contacting your MS State Legslators (see www.votesmart.org for your MS State Rep. and Senator), Gov. Bryant, and Lt. Gov. Reeves(proposed SB 2659) and demanding they prevent more armed guards in our state's public schools. Our children and school staff deserve better. Act fast as legislation is currently pending before the MS State Legislature. Call, email, and visit in person, asking for no passage of two bills, SB 2659 and HB 958. MS cannot afford these costly, misguided programs and should instead be spending our very limited resources on improving public education and mental health services for all Mississippians. 
 
The students, families, and people of Mississippi are opposed to reactionary responses to school shootings of adding more armed police in our schools with legislation such as SB 2659 (minimum cost of $7.5 million for armed police in schools) and HB 958 (school staff concealed carry). Ample evidence proves that armed police in schools do not make the students and school staff safer, but in fact result in exactly the opposite only furthering the unwelcoming and criminalized school environment where students and school staff not only feel unsafe, but are in reality more unsafe with the introduction of easy access to deadly force. There are better solutions to ensuring a safe and secure school environment than adding more armed guards to Mississippi's schools; we urge you to follow these solutions and not further endanger our state's students and school staff with legislation such as SB 2659 and HB 958. All students and school staff deserve to feel safe and secure at all times, but this misguided approach is not the answer. We ask that you not approve any harmful legislation such as SB 2659 or HB 958. MS cannot afford these costly, misguided programs and should instead be spending our very limited resources on improving public education and mental health services for all Mississippians. 

Your Voice is Needed: Contact your MS State Legislators, Gov. Bryant, and Lt. Gov. Reeves to show your opposition to more armed guards in schools:

Find your MS State Rep. and Senator here: www.votesmart.org (enter zip code in box)

Gov. Bryant: 
Phone: 601.359.3150
Online Contact Form: www.governorbryant.com/contact/

Lt. Gov. Reeves:
Phone: (601) 359-3200
Online Contact Form: http://tatereeves.com/contact/
Email: [email protected]

Serious Questions to ask Legislators proposing and/or considering armed guards/police in schools:
 
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/i2w0vdcj6rtxo2x/Questions%20to%20Ask%20-%20Post%20Newtown.docx?token_hash=AAGpuHEtmoMWGu_EmKXvwdg4gxwglZ5x55MC3rZ5UWRxpw&dl=1

Evidence and Resources Supporting the Opposition to Added Armed Guards/Police in Schools:

See the recently released report on the very real consequences of police in MS's schools:       
     Handcuffs on Success: The Extreme School Discipline Crisis in MS Public Schools 
www.aclu-ms.org/files/5713/5843/3850/Handcuffs_on_sucess.pdf

Coalition Says Armed Police in Schools Wrong Answer For Stopping Gun Violence:
www.advancementproject.org/news/entry/press-release-coalition-says-armed-police-in-schools-wrong-answer-for-stopp

Summary to Issue Brief - Police in Schools are Not the Answer to the Newtown Shooting:
http://b.3cdn.net/advancement/06b0d7e7baeb71779e_owm6b5o1j.pdf

Education Under Arrest: The Case Against Police in Schools (Justice Policy Institute):
www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/educationunderarrest_fullreport.pdf

Fact Sheet: Dangers of Added Police in Schools (The Sentencing Project): 
http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/jj_Police%20in%20Schools%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

Allies Opposed to Police in Schools:

EDUCATORS
National Association of Elementary School Principals and National Association of Secondary School Prinicpals (NAESP and NASSP)

www.nassp.org/Content.aspx?topic=NAESP_and_NASSP_Comments_on_School_Safety_and_Gun_Violence_Prevention

The principal’s first responsibility is to foster a safe, orderly, warm, and inviting environment where students come to school ready and eager to learn. To be effective, schools must be operated and perceived as safe havens. Research and countless studies have shown that the presence of armed school personnel, increased numbers of school resource officers (SROs), as well as the purchase of other visible school security equipment will not necessarily deter the kind of violence that took place at Sandy Hook.

PARENTS

National Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

www.pwrnewmedia.com/2013/national_pta/gun_violence_prevention_agenda/

As the President conveyed in his remarks, our number one task, as a nation, is to protect our children. To achieve this, National PTA believes schools also must be completely gun-free.  The Administration’s recommendation to expand the school resource officer program therefore comes as a disappointment.

JUDGES

National Council on Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)

www.ncjfcj.org/ncjfcjs-position-increased-police-presence-schools

The NCJFCJ is concerned regarding the movement, as a result of the Newtown school shootings, to increase the security or police presence in schools. Many counties across the country experienced significant increases in minor school arrests when police began to be placed on camp...