The Douglas County School District has purchased 10 long rifles for its armed security officers.
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“I can say from lessons learned and looking at all the situations that have happened across the country with shootings, that having the correct tools, having the long rifles have helped out in situations”, he told the station.
When normal firearms just aren’t enough to protect your schools, it becomes necessary to upgrade your equipment to get the job done.
“Our main focus is to make sure that all of the students staff parents and community members are safe when they’re on any of our school properties”, he said.
In its new suit, the Institute for Justice argues excluding religious schools violates the First and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
There are now eight armed security officers working for the Douglas County School System, which has 67,000 students.
The Douglas County School District covers 95 schools. He added that his security officers, equipped only with handguns, were training “hand to hand” with the sheriff’s office, which used larger weapons.
The Institute for Justice sued the district and school board in federal court on behalf of three Douglas County families who claim the School Choice Grant Program, narrowly approved by the district last month, is discriminatory because it does not allow religious schools to participate in the program. District officials declined to tell ABC affiliate Denver7 what the exact model of the rifle is or its magazine capacity. Some security officers will receive the guns within a month, while others will get them in August.
The guns in the Colorado school district will stay locked up in cars, not in the school itself, and those handling them will have to undergo 20 hours of training.
In December, district Superintendent Liz Fagen touted the district’s commitment to security in a video posted to YouTube.
Asked if any other districts have done this, Payne said he did not know.
“I’m all for protecting the kids and whatever it takes as long as they’re properly trained, no problem”, Linda Benz said.
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The families named as plaintiffs wish to send their children to Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch.
