Ducey says cops-turned-teachers could help protect Arizona schools
Mar 2, 2018, 9:21 AM
(AP Photo/Matt York)
PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Friday that veterans and former law enforcement working in education may be able to keep the state’s schools safe.
“If you have an individual like that — and we do have people like that in our schools — we have veterans and DPS officers and former law enforcement, those people can help keep a school safe,” he told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News.
Ducey has already come out against the idea of arming teachers. He told President Donald Trump last week that he wants teachers to focus on education, an idea he reiterated Friday.
“A teacher that doesn’t want a part of that or doesn’t have a background, I think that makes sense,” he said. “Let them teach English. Let them do what they signed up for and let them do it with safety and enthusiasm.”
Ducey met with governors this week of several states where a school shooting occurred. He planned to meet with mental health, law enforcement and legislative officials in the near future and said he sees school safety as a state issue.
“The discussion around safety inside our schools and what we can do — I look at this as a responsibility of our governor’s office and state government,” he said.
The governor allowed that there was a seat at the gun discussion table for federal officials, but states should not put all their faith in Washington, D.C. to find a solution.
“There’s a role for the federal government in this discussion — and they certainly could play one — but you know you can’t count on Congress,” he said. They really don’t act.”
Ducey said he will do everything in his power to keep Arizona’s schools safe.
“We want to do everything we can to ensure that Arizona’s schools are as safe as possible for all of our kids and all of our hardworking teachers,” he said.