Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb talks about school security
Lt. Gov. Todd Lamb put out his monthly column recently. Here it is:
As parents we want our children to be healthy and to do well academically, but our first priority is for our children to be safe and secure during their school day. Following the tragic event in Newtown, Connecticut last December, Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman and House Speaker T.W. Shannon asked me to chair the Oklahoma Commission on School Security (OCSS). The OCSS was a statewide, nonpartisan commission comprised of 22 professionals from various fields including local school personnel, law enforcement, emergency response, mental health and parents.
I previously served as a special agent with the United States Secret Service. As state senator, I was the principal author of the Oklahoma School Security Act. School security has been a focus of mine for many years.
The OCSS members sacrificed their time and provided their expertise to conduct a several week comprehensive analysis of this very important issue. Commission meetings included speaker testimony and discussion on the various factors related to school security including but not limited to public safety, access control, physical assessments, training, mental health and local control.
The OCSS was given a March deadline in order for recommendations to be placed in bills this legislative session. After hearing expert testimony and completing their study, the OCSS released five policy recommendations in the 2013 Report of the Oklahoma Commission on School Security:
1) Formation of the Oklahoma School Security Institute (OSSI)
2) Establish a Mental Health First Aid Training Pilot Program
3) Amend and change state law to consolidate and require safety drills
4) Require the reporting of illegal firearms found on school property to local law enforcement
5) Establish a school security tip line
At the time of printing deadline, I am happy to report that the recommendations have received unanimous support in the State Senate and will now move to the State House for consideration.
No policy can prevent evil from occurring, but the OCSS’s hope is that these recommendations will mitigate and lessen the potential of future large scale school violence. We want our children to be not only healthy and thrive in our great state, but we want to make sure they remain safe and secure during their school day.
Thank you for joining our conversation on Education Station. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.
How many of the committee members have been involved in a school shooting?
Was there at least one person on the committee who was there when a school shooting occurred or was the committee loaded with people who only talked about what should be done? First hand experience is always valuable. These types of committees tend to get loaded with political appointees who talk a good fight but would panic if they were ever involved in a school shooting situation.