In response to increase in school shootings around the country over the past several months, a local school system and Sheriff’s Office have announced significantly increased security measures for the 2022-23 school year.
Starting later this month, several elementary, middle, and high schools in Madison County, North Carolina will be arming their School Resource Officers with AR-15 style rifles equipped with tactical accessories, along with door breaching equipment, and extra magazines and ammo.
“We’ve sometimes seen that just having a deputy armed a handgun isn’t enough to stop these animals, that’s why I’ve decided to arm all of my school resource officers with an AR-15 rifle, optics, and accessories,” Madison County Sheriff Buddy Harwood said in a video posted to Facebook. “We’ve also got breaching tools to go into those safes. We’ve got extra magazines with ammo in those safes,” he added.
There are a total of 6 schools in the Madison County school system that will be equipped with AR-15s starting on the first day of school, August 22nd: Brush Creek Elementary, Hot Springs Elementary, Mars Hill Elementary, Madison Middle, Madison High and Madison Early College High.
When the school year begins in Madison County, North Carolina, on August 22, it will come with what the county sheriff says will have enhanced safety features – AR-15 rifles https://t.co/GeyAu21poi
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) August 8, 2022
What do you think about the new policy?