Health Researcher Says Kentucky Isn’t Doing Enough for School Safety through Senate Bill 1

Health Researcher Says Kentucky Is Not Doing Enough for School Safety through Senate Bill 1

The School Safety and Resiliency Act in Kentucky will beef up security through both hardening and softening measures, but health researcher Jagdish Khubchandani said that the lawmakers are missing a vital piece of child gun violence prevention.

  • By Kaitlyn DeHaven
  • August 06, 2019

In a recent article by health researcher Jagdish Khubchandani, “School Firearm Violence Prevention Practices and Policies: Functional or Folly?” he argues that while Kentucky’s Senate Bill 1 is beneficial, it has missed the mark.

Senate Bill 1, otherwise known as The School Safety and Resiliency Act, “will require every school to have intercoms, cameras and automatic locking doors at their main entrances, and locks on all their classroom doors by July 2022,” according to 89.3 WFPL.

The bill calls for both “hardening” and “softening” schools, “hardening” through physical security measures and “softening” through threat assessment teams and hiring more counselors. Many schools have already begun assessing their school security, and have taken the first steps toward meeting the requirements the bill put forth.

Khubchandani argues in his article that although the new bill meets two of the main ways school shootings by children can be prevented, the main form of prevention is child access prevention, something the bill does not have. Laws that include criminal liability for adults if their child shoots someone with a gun that was not properly stored is shown to significantly reduce child gun violence.

“The new safety bill in Kentucky is a good assortment of different things,” Khubchandani said. “But I hope [the state] can complement it with a stronger child access prevention law.”

He said that the society must decide whether they want to be proactive or reactive, and potentially alter the law.

About the Author

Kaitlyn DeHaven is the Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Electrified Latch Retraction Locks Key Benefits for Retrofits

    Building owners and facility managers increasingly rely on electrified hardware to enhance security while meeting accessibility standards. Among these technologies, electrified or motorized latch retraction locks are especially effective for retrofit projects where existing door and frame conditions complicate upgrades. Latch retraction capable locks combine security, accessibility and code compliance benefits, making them ideal for retrofitting fire-rated and non-rated openings in schools, healthcare facilities, commercial buildings and more. Read Now

  • How Cloud Security Solutions Are Transforming Campus Safety

    Campus administrators today face a challenging mandate: deliver stronger security across their facilities while working within tighter budget constraints. From school districts focused on student safety to hospitals protecting patients and staff, the question remains the same: how do you build security infrastructure that evolves with your needs without requiring massive capital investments? Read Now

  • Rethinking Campus Security From the Inside

    For decades, campus security strategies focused on keeping threats outside school walls. But since the tragedy at Columbine High School, data has shown that many attacks begin inside the building, often in classrooms and corridors. This shift has prompted schools to rethink security from the inside and place greater emphasis on interior elements such as classroom doors. This shift is evidenced by a new generation of classroom door systems engineered to delay inside intruders and an ASTM standard that raises the bar on how these systems must be designed to defend against attack. Read Now

  • AI in Security: Advancing Campus Safety and Considerations for Implementing

    Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to capture attention across every sector, and the physical security industry is no exception. Once seen as experimental, AI-enabled analytics now underpin how organizations monitor environments, detect threats, and make decisions. What was once futuristic is now a practical necessity for safety professionals managing growing volumes of data, tighter resources, and increasing expectations for faster, more accurate responses. Read Now

Most   Popular