Panel: School Resource Officers are Primary Way to Combat School Shootings
Fatal school shootings, including one four months ago at Birmingham’s Huffman High School, has put school safety at top of mind for educators. Tuesday at the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, a panel including superintendents, a teachers union official and others discussed how best to address active shooter situations.
There was little support among panelists for arming teachers or administrators. However, several spoke favorably of increasing the number of school resource officers or SROs. These are trained law enforcement officers tasked with keeping a school building safe. Hiring more SROs can be tough in poor, rural schools, which might also be farthest away from law enforcement.
Hoover Superintendent Kathy Murphy, formerly head of Monroe County Schools, said police would have had to travel 45 minutes to one school.
“I am troubled about those very isolated schools, such as the little school in Packard’s Bend, and what would they do?” she asked.
Earlier this year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced a voluntary program to arm administrators at schools without SROs. Participating administrators would undergo training and be certified by the state. They would also keep the firearm in a locked safe.
The National Rifle Association often draws criticism when school shootings occur, but former NRA President Jim Porter said the group will consult with schools to develop security plans.
“These security programs are fashioned and tailored to the need of the requesting body whether it be a school or a school system,” Porter said.
Porter said there are NRA grants available to improve school safety. He said no schools in Alabama have applied.
Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general
After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.
Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth
The woman who accused then-Fox News host of sexual assault in 2017 said that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot," according to a police report. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense.
Alabama Black Belt’s sewer crisis a tougher fix for residents in manufactured homes
Poor sanitation has long plagued residents in Alabama’s Black Belt. For people with manufactured houses, finding a solution has been more challenging.
In Birmingham, Black men’s groups work to save young men from the cycle of gun violence
As the city inches closer to its homicide record, community members are trying to address a sense of fatalism and lack of opportunity felt by some young men.
What is the ICC and can it really arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
The ICC also issued warrants for Yoav Gallant, former Israeli defense minister, and Hamas leader Muhammad Deif. But it doesn't have an enforcement mechanism and relies on states to make the arrests.
Former Brazilian president indicted over alleged coup plot
Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro and several others have been charged with attempting to overthrow incoming government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022.
