For Immediate Release:
August 30, 2023
For More Information:
Josh Fleitman, Campaign Director, (412) 426-5148, josh.fleitman@ceasefirepa.org
Adam Garber, Executive Director, (267) 515-1220, adam.garber@ceasefirepa.org
MEDIA STATEMENT
CeaseFirePA Condemns Legislation to Mandate Armed Security in PA Schools as Ineffective “Solution,” Urges Evidence-Based Action to Keep Kids Safe at School
Harrisburg — Yesterday, PA Senator Mike Regan (R-31) announced the introduction of forthcoming legislation (SB 907) that would require all Pennsylvania schools to employ armed security personnel during school hours.
Adam Garber, CeaseFirePA Action’s Executive Director, issued the following statement in response:
“As 1.7 million Pennsylvania kids head back to school this year, parents, teachers, and students themselves all feel the anxiety of this looming question: will it be safe? They wouldn’t have to ask this question if the Pennsylvania Senate focused on bipartisan, evidence-based solutions to make our kids safer, rather than ineffective and even dangerous proposals like SB 907.
“This question has been studied extensively and we know that armed personnel in schools are not effective at deterring or stopping active shooters. Just look at the failures in Parkland and Uvalde.
“Right now, the Pennsylvania Senate has in front of it two bipartisan solutions that would clearly make our schools safer. Almost all school shooters “leak” their plans ahead of time or give clear warning signs – creating an opportunity to use an Extreme Risk Protection Order to disarm them. Long guns are now used in the majority of mass shootings, yet in Pennsylvania, one can buy these weapons from a private seller without a background check – a gap that universal background check legislation would close. We urge the PA Senate to take up these real solutions to keep our kids safe at school, not ineffective policies like SB 907.”
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As the Commonwealth’s leading gun violence prevention organization, CeaseFirePA Action works to ensure everyone can live a life free from gun violence. We organize with communities closest to the issue, hold those in power accountable, and maximize the strengths of every member in our broad coalition.
