The Baltimore City school board has voted unanimously to oppose a measure that would have allowed school police officers to carry weapons during the day.
The school board’s vote effectively kills HB31, which would have overturned a previous prohibition on school police officers carrying guns in schools.
The 10-0 opposition vote took place at a meeting Tuesday night at school headquarters on North Avenue after a lively public forum in which students, parents, and members of the police union voiced their opinions both in favor of and against the bill, each side citing data and other evidence to bolster their arguments.
The roughly 90 city schools police officers are allowed to carry their service weapons while patrolling the exterior of school buildings before and after school hours. But they are required to store their weapons in a secure location during the school day, the Baltimore Sun reports.
State Del. Cheryl D.Glenn, the bill’s sponsor, said she was “very disappointed” by the decision and felt the board had succumbed to pressure from a student group.
“I think that this is a very unwise decision,” she said. “These are sworn police officers. They are not security guards. They have more training than Baltimore police.”
