Copyright Hartford Courant
The Bristol Board of Education has unanimously voted to allow armed security guards in the city’s schools. But for now, that policy will only extend to the school system’s head of security because of budgetary restrictions. The policy was approved Wednesday evening at the board’s regular meeting and takes effect immediately, according to Board Chair Shelby Pons. “Because of all of the community voice that came through in support, I think it’s clearly the direction that our community wanted to go into,” Pons said. “As a parent, I have my own opinion, but as a board member I just think it’s our responsibility to listen to the community and make revisions that reflect community voice,” she added. CT district considering armed guards in schools. They would not be police officers. The policy was approved with support from the Bristol Police Department, as well as Stephen Cabelus, a retired state trooper who serves as the school system’s director of safety and security. Cabelus will now be allowed to carry a firearm in any of the city’s public schools. The policy also opens the door for the district to hire additional guards who formerly worked in law enforcement and retired in good standing. “We don’t have that in the budget at this point right now,” Pons said. Despite their background in law enforcement, any guards hired by the district would need to undergo training and would have to stay up to date on firearm certifications. Legislation passed earlier this year at the state level, which allows the hiring of armed guards, mandates training in use of force and active assailant response situations, among other areas dealing with safety, firearms and medical care. Having an armed security member in the city’s schools will help provide a safeguard against potential school shootings or other “worst-case” scenarios, Pons said. “We want to make sure that if anything did happen, employees and students are safe,” Pons said. “But it also is helpful just to have someone in the building that knows the kids and is a role model and can build relationships.” Both public high schools in Bristol have a designated School Resource Officer. An officer is also assigned to float between the middle schools. Because they are employed as police officers, they are sometimes asked to respond to unrelated calls for service near their assigned schools. The new policy will allow Cabelus and potential future armed guards into elementary schools or one of the middle or high schools should an SRO have to respond to another call. “We have them and they’re phenomenal,” Pons said of the officers assigned to schools. “They work for the police department, they don’t work for the school system so we have them, but it can be inconsistent depending on need.”
