Commissioners Consider Spending $10 Million On Security At Douglas County Schools
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - With the words to "put their money where their hearts are," Douglas County Commissioners took a step towards allocating $10 million toward additional school security.
The move comes less than a week since a student was killed and eight others injured at the STEM School in Highlands Ranch.
STEM did not have a school resource officer from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Instead, it had a private security guard.
CBS4's Rick Sallinger learned that security camera video inside the school showed the guard firing in the direction of a responding deputy. A special prosecutor from El Paso County is now being appointed to investigate further.
At a meeting on Monday, parents and others suggested metal detectors at the schools and more school resource officers as possible solutions.
One person who spoke before the commissioners, Jafar Partowmah, suggested firearms should be allowed to be used with valid concealed carry permits.
Parents including Anatastia Hadwiger, a mother of two children in the Douglas County School District, said she would favor metal detectors and trained armed personnel.
Another mother, Brooke Brooks, emphasized the time for words has passed, "the time to act is now."
The $10 million is to come from the country's general fund "savings account." The revenue is from property taxes.