HARRISON, Ark. (KY3) – The creation of a statewide anonymous tip line to report potential threats to school safety was among several new recommendations finalized Tuesday by the Arkansas School Safety Commission.
The commission unanimously approved multiple recommendations from its five subcommittees: mental health and prevention, law enforcement and security, audits, emergency operations plans and drills, physical safety, and intelligence and communication.
“We’re going to do everything that we possibly can to use this moment to make sure every single child in Arkansas schools and the staff are safe,” said Dr. Cheryl May, chairmen of the School Safety Commission.
She and almost two dozen other leaders across the state have been gathering all summer to come up with a plan to give the governor about school safety. They have finalized several ideas, including an anonymous tip line.
”The safety commission is pushing out more requirements and ideas; one of the things they’re talking about is the tip hotline that’s coming out now,” said Lt. Mike Toland, a head resource officer at Harrison Public Schools. “We’re very fortunate to have a state that is so caring and puts school safety as such a priority that they have.”
They also are recommending all bus drivers get at least 20 minutes of security training, that all counties in the state have a full-time emergency manager, and that all faulty door locks at schools be fixed immediately.
Lt. Toland says he is glad the state passed a $50 million grant to help aid districts with future improvements.
“For us, I think building safety is more like the easier fix right now. Hey, let’s make sure our doors are the right kinds of doors, locks can be locked on the inside, right kind of door frames,” said Lt. Toland. “I think that’s something we need to work on with schools as far as things of that nature. I think that’s kind of the easier fix for schools, things they can concentrate on, on that level.”
The safety commission has not discussed something Governor Asa Hutchinson has spoken about since the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, increasing age requirements to purchase a semi-automatic weapons.
”Now that’s kind of hard to say because I have grandkids that hunt and I wouldn’t want want to see their guns taken away,” said Leota Hankins, who was picking up her granddaughter from school Wednesday. “I’ve been impressed with the security lock doors and other things they’ve done, but I think most people will feel there’s always going to be more that could be done.
The commission’s initial report was due Monday, August 1, and can be viewed by CLICKING HERE.
The commission will submit the final report of findings and recommendations to the governor no later than October 1.
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