Arizona's schools are set to increase their security measures as State Education Superintendent Tom Horne announced the allocation of $15 million in carryover funds for additional armed officers on campus. Due to an uptick in threats across Arizona and nationwide, these officers are seen as a critical measure in ensuring the safety of students and staff. According to the Arizona Department of Education, if funds are left unspent on officers, they may also benefit school counselors and social workers as part of the state's school safety law.
In a statement addressing the security concerns, Horne told the Arizona Department of Education, "One of my biggest fears is that an armed maniac gets on a school campus and causes a devastating tragedy to happen." The department's initiative comes in the wake of a disturbing series of threats, with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center registering over 300 school threat reports since the beginning of the year. An expedited grant process seeks to place officers in schools by January, foregoing the standard six weeks of public notice for grant application requests.
This urgency is reflected in the recent uptick of threats detected by the ACTIC, ranging from potential shootings to bomb threats across Arizona schools. Horne emphasized the distressing nature of these threats, insisting on immediate action to safeguard educational environments. "These numbers are distressing and show that we absolutely must do everything possible to protect students, educators and staff on school campuses," he reiterated, as detailed by the state's Department of Education.
Investigations have led to multiple arrests over a three-week period, with nine threats currently under review. Although several threats have been closed and deemed non-credible, the consistency and volume of the reports have paved the way for these additional security measures. As Horne concluded, "This added funding is vital to accomplishing that goal," signaling a proactive stance against the ongoing threat to school safety, as reported by the state's Department of Education.
