COOPER CITY, FLA. (WSVN) - Some Broward County schools have already stepped up on security with deputies carrying rifles on campus.
Select elementary, middle and high schools, like Cooper City High School, will have deputies carrying heavier hardware.
“Our deputies who are qualified and trained will be carrying rifles on school grounds from this point forward,” said Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel.
The change was brought on by the fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14.
“So much more security. I’ve never seen anybody walking around with guns before,” said one student.
Certain schools in cities without its own police department will all have BSO trained deputies carrying rifles.
The high schools affected are:
- Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach
- Cypress Bay High School in Weston
- Deerfield Beach High School in Deerfield Beach
- Northeast High School in Oakland Park
- Cooper City High School in Cooper City
- Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes
Trained BSO deputies will also be at select elementary and middle schools.
These rifles would be the same kinds handled at the airport and at crime scenes, but some parents feel uneasy about this change.
“I don’t think that’s really the answer,” said a parent. “It’s just to try to make the public feel safer.”
A student said he feels more secure. “I feel very safe here now, especially with the rifle situation,” he said.
Cities like Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Davie, Pembroke Pines and Miramar all have their own police department, and therefore will not be changing their gun policy at public schools. Their officers do not carry rifles, as of Thursday.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.