“Teachers are trained to teach!”
That statement from Northland Pines school district administrator Mike Richie is his view on suggestions teachers should be able to carry firearms as a result of the recent shooting in Florida that killed 14 students and three staff members.
“We have policies in place and staff have been trained on how to react,” Richie said, adding he has had a number of phone calls asking what the district is doing. Richie shared a number of security measures the district has taken; having an armed resource officer, updated camera systems in all school buildings accessible to school officials and to law enforcement at the Sheriff's department and deputies in squad cars.
All visitors have to enter at the main officers and are screened through a sexual predator data base. The district has also hired a social worker to assist with mental health issues. Riche feels shooting at a target is different than shooting at a person, especially if there are students running and screaming in a hallway, saying again “teachers are trained to teach; we have others in our communities trained in law enforcement.”
