Staffing up police in schools, hardening buildings and more training for employees are just a handful of ways Nashville is responding to the Covenant School shooting.
Metro Council members, Metro Nashville Public Schools officials and a lieutenant from the Metro Nashville Police Department presented updates on school safety Wednesday. It was the first in a three-meeting series on the gun violence epidemic.
Police in schools were a main focus of Wednesday’s discussion. Both MNPS and police officials emphasized that school resource officers are intended to help with safety — not student discipline or behavior issues.
MNPS plans to have an armed school resource officer at each of its middle and high schools by Sept. 4. That would bring the total number up to 75. SROs work directly for the police department, as opposed to other school security personnel who work for the district.
Courtesy Metro Nashville Public Schools Slide from an MNPS presentation about its safety plans for the coming school year.
Metro Councilmember Zulfat Suara chairs the Education Committee and co-hosted the meeting. She made a point of acknowledging concerns with SROs.
“My kids went to school in North Nashville. And the perception of SROs in the school is not a favorable one,” Suara said. She added that many students are “already very scared” of SROs.
Nationally, data show that schools with SROs are more likely to refer students to law enforcement. That often disproportionately affects students of color.
But Lt. Jason Picanzo said Nashville SROs are different. They focus on building positive relationships with students.
“We want to see these kids succeed. We don’t want them to just go to jail for every little thing,” Picanzo said.
Councilmember Courtney Johnston said she would like to see SROs introduced in the city’s elementary schools.
“I want somebody that knows what they’re doing when somebody comes to shoot guns in our schools, at our students, at our staff. I want somebody armed to take that person out.”
MNPS elementary schools currently operate with unarmed “safety ambassadors” in the schools and police officers stationed outside. However, most of the ambassador positions are unfilled. MNPS plans to staff them by the fall.
Building security systems
Maura Sullivan of MNPS also shared some of the security measures built into school facilities. Those include security vestibules that create a barrier between visitors and the rest of the school, as well as intercom locks on main school entrances. Sullivan said visitors go through an instant background check when they sign in at the front office.
The district has ensured that all schools are outfitted with security cameras and all doors can be locked from the inside. And law enforcement officers now have badge access to school buildings.
The district is requesting $5 million to install shatter-resistant protection to glass in its facilities. They’re also asking the Metro Council to make funding to its safety ambassador program recurring. It has been using COVID relief money that will expire.
In addition to physically securing school buildings, MNPS plans to increase safety training for staff. All school-based employees will participate in training on how to respond during an active shooter event. Metro police will train approximately 8,000 MNPS employees on how to handle intruders during the district’s teacher in-service week.
The lessons will echo what administrators learned during similar trainings at the beginning of last school year.
Legislative update
Two Democratic state legislators from Nashville also spoke at Wednesday’s meeting, sharing their views on the anticipated special session to address gun violence. The main takeaway: that session is not a guarantee.
“There has been a date picked, Aug. 21, for a proposed — proposed — special session dealing with gun violence,” said Rep. Bob Freeman. “That doesn’t necessarily have to happen.”
He said the governor has not yet issued the necessary proclamation to convene a special session of the legislature. Freeman said it would require pressure from residents outside Davidson County to get gun legislation passed.
“If you know anybody outside the city of Nashville, call them and encourage them to call their state representative and demand that we take action.”
Rep. Caleb Hemmer pointed out that, in polls taken since the Covenant School shooting, Tennessee residents have shown broad support for red flag laws. Those are policies that temporarily remove guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others.
What’s next?
The series of meetings on school safety was organized by Councilmember Jeff Syracuse, chair of the Public Health & Safety Committee. He emphasized that Wednesday’s meeting was only the start of an ongoing conversation on gun violence. Two additional meetings will occur in the coming weeks.
Wed., June 21, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. — Hillsboro High School auditorium
A panel of guests from groups including Moms Demand Action, the Uvalde Foundation for Kids and the Akilah Dasilva Foundation will participate in a moderated discussion. The panel will address pre-submitted questions from the community.
Wed., June 28, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. — Council Chambers, Metro Courthouse
This meeting will focus on gun violence as a public health issue. The Metro Public Health Department, Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, Metro Office of Family Safety and Mental Health Cooperative will participate in the discussion.
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