Have you ever felt unsafe at school? It’s okay, many people feel that way now considering that many school shootings are happening.
I interviewed two CHAH school safety officers, Officer Pina and Officer Flowers, and school counselor Ms. Selacy Chimilio, about their opinions on this issue.
Officer Flowers, a school safety officer in CHAH, believes there should be more security guards in schools.”Do I think there should be more school safety at schools? Absolutely!’’ She believes that it is necessary to have multiple school safety officers in schools.”School safety officers play a vital role in NYC public schools.They keep staff, students, and visitors safe from violent/criminal behavior, intruders, and potential threats to the school community.”
Officer Flowers also states that school safety officers should NOT carry firearms or tasers at school. “It compromises the safety of the school community, it can endanger others and make some people feel unsafe,’’ Flowers said. ”Weapons are never the answer.”
Officer Pina, another school security guard officer in CHAH, also believes schools should have more school safety officers. I asked Ms.Pina how she felt knowing school shootings happen more often than they should, to which she responded with,”I feel worried knowing the instability that is represented. But at the same time I feel like I’m anxious and need to stay alert.”
Officer Pina has said that she wants to have school safety carry protection but knows the consequences it can bring. “Because not all schools have older children, many are small children and can see guns as violence and not protection as we see it. It can also take a toll mentally on some adults,” Pina said.
Chimilio, a school counselor at CHAH, is tired of school shootings.’’It’s disheartening. It’s very disheartening that these things are happening,” Chimilio said. when being asked the question on her opinion on knowing that school shootings happen more often than they should. Chimilio believes that adding more school safety officers is not the answer. After being asked if she believed school safety officers and or school staff should carry firearms or weapons, Chamilio replied with,”No. I think that’s not the answer, for us to be carrying firearms. The question is who’s making these guns.thats the question I have. Who’s making these guns and making them easily accessible to minors?”
This story was first published on The Phoenix on December 3, 2024.
