Southlake Mayor Pledges To Spend $550K To Improve School Safety

SOUTHLAKE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The city of Southlake will set aside more than half a million dollars to improve school security, according to Mayor Laura Hill.    

City council has not yet voted on the measure, but Mayor Hill says she spoke individually with every council member before making the announcement in an online video Wednesday.

"This is city money from our budget, and city council has made the decision that we'll set that money aside, and if we have to make changes in other plans that we have, this is a priority," she said.

Hill says the city's already received pitches from companies that build bulletproof safety pods in classrooms, one of many upgrades it may consider.

"People are talking about metal detectors. I don't know if that's an option. People are talking about bullet proof doors on classrooms," she said, providing examples of possible measures.

What she does know is having money ready to spend can speed up the process.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. I want to start getting solid, hard things done," she said.

The city's Crime Control and Prevention District, which collects an eight of a cent sales tax, already spends a million dollars a year to staff every school in Carroll ISD with an armed resource officer.

"Even the larger districts don't have an SRO in the elementary school level. That is the one thing that makes ours unique," said Assistant Police Chief Ashleigh Douglas.

Five years ago, the idea of armed police in elementary schools had some parents upset.

Today, the city says, perspectives have changed.

"Should an armed gunman or someone armed with any kind of weapon come onto those campuses, we've got an SRO that can respond to that," said Douglas.

Mayor Hill expects, within the next two months, the city will create a committee of security advisors to recommend how the half million dollars in funds should be spent.

In the meantime, she hopes to see other cities willing to make a similar investment.

"Everyone may not have a half million dollars, and honestly I wish I had a lot more.  I hope over time it will be a lot more money," she said.