Virginia School Safety Panel: Restore Resource Officer Funding, Tighten Gun Penalties

By Blake Belden, Capital News Service

Gov. Bob McDonnell is urging state legislators to approve recommendations from his School and Campus Safety Task Force that would increase sentences for illegally buying guns, require mandatory lockdown drills at schools and establish more comprehensive suicide prevention programs, among other suggestions.

McDonnell sent the General Assembly a letter outlining initial recommendations from the panel, which , where a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 children.

Sen. George Barker, who represents much of Alexandria's western half, is on the panel. 

In the letter, McDonnell highlighted those recommendations he wants legislators to give the "most priority": 10 of them involve public safety (including restoring funding for school resource officers); two involve education (such as funding anti-bullying training); and three involve mental health (like expanding outpatient services).

The full letter can be found here.

The General Assembly has less than a month to turn these recommendations into law before the legislative session is scheduled to end on Feb. 23.

The task force is expected to send the governor another set of recommendations by June 30.

Also see:

• Sen. Barker to Serve on School Safety Task Force
• Guns in Schools: Virginia Educators Concerned about Governor's Interest in School Staff Carrying Weapons

School Security

The task force also issued recommendations that require more security on the schools’ part. For instance, all schools would be required to conduct a lockdown drill within the first 20 days of the fall and spring semester.

The task force also proposed that all schools institute a more in-depth mental health program and suicide prevention activities. Another proposal suggests that teachers undergo training and certification so they can recognize and treat mental or emotional distress among students or other faculty.

In his letter to the General Assembly, McDonnell said, “I am confident that by working together we will make our schools and campuses safer and improve upon the legal and budgetary framework necessary to help our first responders, education and mental health profession protect all Virginians.”

Not included in the initial letter was any mention of arming teachers and staff members outside of designated school resources officers—something Gov. McDonnell had expressed interest in exploring.

Virginia educators have said they are concerned about the governor’s interest in allowing teachers and staff members to carry guns into schools, noting violence prevention isn’t an issue of more guns, but more funding.

Officials with three education associations—the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals (VASSP), the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) and the Virginia Association of School Superintendents (VASS)—released a statement in December. 

School safety is a deep-rooted issue and research indicates a “thoughtful” approach to safety in schools, one that goes beyond school campuses and into the communities, is needed in order to protect children, officials with the three associations said.

Firearms

Under current law, the illegal purchase or transport of firearms is a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail. The task force’s proposal would make this violation a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in jail.

The recommendations would also increase the punishment for “straw-man purchases” of firearms. That’s when someone legally buys a gun with the intent to sell it directly to someone who is ineligible to purchase a firearm. The law currently provides a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail for straw-man purchases.

The task force proposed increasing the punishment for all straw-man transactions and mandating a punishment of 10 years in jail for the ineligible person if the transaction involves more than one firearm.

For people who enter a school with a firearm or explosive device, the panel suggested that they be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail.

No proposals limit any current laws of legal gun ownership.

Patch Editor Erica R. Hendry reported for this story.