29 States Have Armed Teachers - Here's What's Next

WASHINGTON - Oct. 31, 2022 - PRLog -- There have been some 40 school shootings in America causing injury or death so far this year alone, which may be one reason why 29 states already permit educators to have guns, and more are considering it.

But there are two logical alternatives for situations in which schools will not permit teachers to be armed in the classroom, and/or situations in which teachers do not want to carry firearms for fear of injuring an innocent person, concern about possible legal liability, or for other reasons, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf.

Banzhaf, a former security officer and security consultant, has just published a detailed study of how K-12 schools, colleges, and universities can and should take simple, inexpensive, and proven steps to prepare for the possibility of an armed intruder, and 2 of the 11 recommendations involve arming teachers.  SEE:  How Can Universities Tackle The Threat Of Active Shooters

Since so many jurisdictions already permit some educators to be armed - and, as with the armed airline pilots program, there apparently have been no adverse incidents or other downsides - more schools should consider permitting at least a few teachers to be armed, he suggests.

Posting signs such as 'WARNING - SOME TEACHERS ARE ARMED" should provide a significant deterrent to a potential shooter because neither students nor outsiders will know the number or identity of those with guns, and an armed teacher may be able to stop, or at least contain, a shooter before armed law enforcement personnel arrive.

As a further alternative, the law professor suggests at least 3 different types of non-lethal weapons which could also be used to stop an armed intruder, and which could be safely stored in a gun safe within a classroom.

None would require the precise aim of a firearm, and there is virtually no risk of killing or injuring anyone, even the shooter himself.  These three alternatives include:
■ ONE - A canister of bear spray which can shoot an intruder more than 20 feet away with enough power to stop a charging grizzly bear
■ TWO - A paintball pistol which can be used to fire one or more pellets of colored paint into the face of an armed intruder at an even greater distance
■ THREE - New devices which employ the advantages of both by shooting balls containing a highly irritating and incapacitating spray long distances

The study (https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=202210...) showed that most schools - including many which, like the one is Uvalde, had been "hardened" - are ill prepared for an armed intruder.

http://banzhaf.net/   jbanzhaf3ATgmail.com   @profbanzhaf