Armed Police Could be Added to Schools

Would you feel comfortable with an armed police officer patrolling the hallways of Hatboro-Horsham School District schools? 

That possibility is one that administrators and the school board are mulling as they put in place a beefed-up security system and additional security personnel, Superintendent Curtis Griffin said during Monday's school board meeting.

Griffin told Patch after the meeting that the consideration was aimed at "creating another layer of safety and security" in the wake of last year's shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

He was quick to point out that decisions would not be imminent and that June would likely be the earliest time for the board to hear a recommendation and render a decision.

"We're exploring what people are doing across the country," Griffin said. "It's not a decision solely for the school district."

Indeed, besides soliciting feedback from districts with school resource officers in place, Griffin said he expects to hear plenty of conversation from parents and community members expressing views both for and against the possibility of armed guards in district schools. 

Do you think school resource officers or armed police should be hired for Hatboro-Horsham schools?

Currently, Griffin said the district has a "number" of security guards at the high school, elementary schools and the middle school. The guards are "unarmed, but trained," he said. In some instances, the guards are on-duty from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. depending on the building's use, Griffin said. 

In addition, Griffin said that, "both the Hatboro and Horsham police have a presence in all of our schools."

Hatboro Police Chief James Gardner said his department has "always patrolled our schools." As such, Gardner said there have been armed police officers on school grounds.

Gardner said his department "regularly" works with the district on matters of security "and will do so on the matter of resource officers."

"We will assist the district and other law enforcement agencies with whatever they may need to protect the students, staff and property of the district including a resource officer program," Gardner said in an email to Patch.

But, in order for a police presence to evolve into a more regular role, Griffin said it would most likely mean that the district would need to cover the salary of resource officers, or armed officers, assigned to the schools.

Griffin said it was too early to determine how many police could be added and to what capacity.

For now, the district's administrators have "initiated the conversation" with Hatboro and Horsham law enforcement, he said. 

"We just opened the discussion," Griffin said, noting that the plan, if enacted, would be implemented next school year. 

To date, Griffin said he has not heard from any district parents seeking armed police, or school resource officers to keep buildings secure. And, in the end, he said it may not become a reality.

"We may come back with 'not yet,' " Griffin said. "We may come back with 'moving forward.' "