School Security Measure Gets Approval

Hartford- On Saturday the Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously backed legislation that will ensure armed security guards hired to protect students meet proper standards of training and experience, Deputy House Republican Vincent Candelora (R- North Branford) said. With the memory of Sandy Hook still weighing heavily on hearts and minds, school districts have begun considering hiring armed guards from private security forces who do not necessarily have proper training, to work in school settings. Candelora said he is worried school districts could enter into contracts with unqualified guards.  North Branford paved the way for this legislation when they contemplated hiring retired police officers as guards.  The bill, SB 1099 An Act Concerning School Safety, establishes requirements for municipalities or boards of education to hire only active or retired police officers to provide armed security at public schools. “We want to do everything we can to make our students safer,” said Candelora, who co-sponsored the bill. “But that’s why we have to make sure that anyone permitted to carry a firearm on school grounds has extensive training with weapons and security. If, God forbid, something happens in one of our schools, a security guard without adequate training could makes things much worse.” A retired police officer may be hired, under the bill, if he or she retired from an organized local police department or the State Police, left service in good standing, was authorized to make arrest prior to separation, and met the active duty qualifications in firearms training in the 12 month period prior to hiring. The bill has already received approval in the Senate and will now head to Governor Malloy’s desk where he is expected to sign the legislation into law.  

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