Baltimore City School Board Votes Against Bill To Arm Officers

RadioOnFire.com - The Baltimore City Public Schools Board of School Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose allowing school resource officers to carry guns in the buildings.

On Tuesday, the board voted 10-to-0 to oppose House Bill 31. The officers have to lock-up their guns at the start of their shifts. Baltimore school resource officers are the only police officers in the state who cannot carry weapons inside of schools.

Del. Cheryl D. Glenn, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, told the Baltimore Sun that she would be withdrawing the proposed legislation from the General Assembly.

“I can’t move a bill that doesn’t have the support of the school board and the mayor,” she said. “The votes wouldn’t be there.”

Students who opposed school resource officers to be armed took over the meeting. One of those groups of students is known as the Baltimore Algebra Project.

A spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union said armed officers in schools would disrupt learning.

"(It's) very important that students are in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable, and having a gun around is not comfortable for learning," said Kimberly Humphrey, of ACLU.

Some parents wished to have the SROs carry their weapons in school.

Source WBAL