School Committee Resolution
On Concealed Carry in K-12 Schools
WHEREAS: Current state law allows Concealed Carry Permit (“CCP”) holders to carry firearms onto Rhode Island K-12 school grounds; and
WHEREAS: Forty two (42) other states do not generally allow concealed carry in K-12 schools; and
WHEREAS: Data collected by the Violence Policy Center, a Washington D.C. gun safety organization, from May 2007 to March 2017 documents 729 gun violence incidents in 40 states and the District of Columbia resulting in 928 deaths. In 83 percent of the incidents (604) the concealed carry killer either committed suicide (296), has already been convicted (235), perpetrated a murder-suicide (56), or was killed in the incident (17). Of the 95 cases still pending, the vast majority (81) have been charged with criminal homicide, four were deemed incompetent to stand trial, and 10 incidents are still under investigation. An additional 30 incidents were fatal unintentional shootings involving the gun of the concealed handgun permit holder; and
WHEREAS: A report published by the FBI examining active shooter incidents between 2000 and 2013 found that only one was stopped by a civilian with a firearm. In comparison, four were stopped by armed guards, two by off-duty police, and 21 by unarmed civilians. [“A Study of Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013”, U.S. Department of Justice and FBI, Sept. 16, 2013]; and
WHEREAS: A two year comprehensive Final Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, consisting of school administrators, teachers, law enforcement, psychiatrists, lawmakers and legal professionals made findings including “Safe School Climate” and “Safe School Design and Operations Strategies” that specifically did not include the use of firearms or the of arming teachers or non-law enforcement civilians in schools; and
WHEREAS: The Rhode IslandSchool Superintendents’ Association hasadopted the School Superintendents Association “AASA Position Paper on School Safety: A response to the Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary,” which specifically denounces “efforts to bring more guns into our schools by teachers and administrators,” and reminds us that “schools remain the safest place for children”; and
WHEREAS: The Rhode Island Association of School Principals, The Rhode Island Association of School Committees, and The Rhode Island Federation of Teachers & Health Professionals have have voted to support banning concealed weapons on school grounds, except for duly authorized peace officers/law enforcement; and
WHEREAS: Rhode Island education leadership has carefully considered and implemented regularly audited school and district-wide building safety plans and emergency protocols inclusive of first-responders, local law enforcement, and the school community; and
WHEREAS: The bills H5354, S0187 currently before the Rhode Island House and Senate Judiciary committees would restrict concealed carry on Rhode Island K-12 school grounds to trained peace officers,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED: That the ______School Committee respectfully requests the Rhode Island General Assembly to support 2017 – H5354, 2017 - S0187, and any and all legislative proposals that would disallow non-peace officers/law enforcement to carry concealed firearms onto Rhode Island K-12 school grounds.
WHERETO: The following bear witness:
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Chairperson Clerk
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Introduced by Passed (Date)