South Carolina school safety summit focuses on armed officers, mental health

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For the first time, South Carolina police officers, teachers, security experts and mental health leaders are talking about school safety in the wake of the deadly shootings in Florida.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster headed up a school safety summit in Thursday in Columbia.

Several of the people on the panel are teachers and principals who support giving students more access to mental health professionals and training teachers to spot the warning signs of a potential school shooter.

McMaster supports arming teachers in the classroom, but said that first, there must be more armed officers in schools.

"The best thing, and relatively the least expensive, is to have a certified, trained law enforcement officer in every school, every day, every time a student is in the building," McMaster said.

The panel also discussed looking at school buildings and finding ways to secure them, especially those with multiple exits and entrances, open courtyards and few or no security cameras.  The governor acknowledged that "hardening" schools is a very costly option.

"It costs a lot of money to harden a school, as they say, to put up the kind of doors with metal detectors and fences and walls. That costs a lot of money," McMaster said.

McMaster has put $5 million on his budget to make sure all schools have resource officers.

Molly Spearman, South Carolina’s education superintendent, said that should include elementary schools.

Most elementary schools don't have officers patrolling the halls.

Spearman also pointed out that schools are mandated to hold monthly fire drills, however, they don't do active shooter drills. But she said that needs to change.

Other experts said students need to be trained on how -- and to whom -- to properly report suspicious behavior.

Ricky Cope, a pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in Indian Land, drove to Columbia for the summit because he said he is tired of the violence.

"We've talked enough. It's time for action," Cope said.

Cope said he supports metal detectors in schools, more resource officers and more secure buildings.  He has put together his own plan for protecting schools that he hopes to share with state lawmakers.

Cox Media Group