VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — In Virginia Beach, public school leaders said soon there will be more people in place to protect school buildings.
Former law enforcement officers are coming out of retirement to protect schools, said Virginia Beach City Public Schools Board Member Victoria Manning.
"You know, we all want to keep our kids safe,” Manning said.
In April, VBCPS Director of Safe Schools Thomas DeMartini told school board members about the plan to allow former Virginia Beach Police Department officers, who are already employed as security assistants in the school division, to be armed.
School division leaders discussed the idea, after learning Virginia Beach police would need to temporarily pull some school resources officers from schools due to a staffing shortage.
DiMartini said Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate assured him that the school divisions’ number of VBPD school resources officers should return to a full staff of 27 officers by the start of the next school year in September.
“They are an expected visible presence and deterrent in and around our schools,” DiMartini told school board members during an April 5 meeting. “As you are aware, officers in our building significantly reduce time to critical instances in our schools.
“We don’t wait and react to a situation like what happened in Texas," said Manning. "We are always looking at ways to protect our kids and keep our schools safe.”
As new details emerge about the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, questions are being raised nationwide about keeping schools safe.
DeMartini previously told school division leaders approximately 15 security assistants met current state law and VBCPS policy requirements for carrying firearms. However, Manning told 13NewsNow that five people recently passed the training, though she did not know exactly when they will start in the new role.
Manning, who is also a parent, said schools should also focus on other issues, including more mental health resources.
“We have to do our part in schools but we have to have this be a community effort as well,” she said.
Manning says it is unclear when the new school security officers will start or at which schools.