Coppell ISD Considers Letting School Cops Carry AR-15s
COPPELL (CBSDFW.COM) - The Coppell Independent School District is considering allowing police officers to carry rifles inside schools as a deterrent to trouble.
After a school year that included allegations of rape and an actual robbery at Coppell High School, the city's police department decided to ask the district if the officers assigned to schools could AR-15 rifles inside schools. And they're considering it.
"I hate to think about officers with rifles walking around our schools, but if it's going to help stop an attack, faster and more effectively, then sure," said Ellen Bunte, who has a third grader at Coppell ISD. "When people are coming into our schools, it's not people that are coming in with handguns. They're usually using assault rifles. I think we should better equip our officers with the correct weapon to help protect our kids."
Coppell police are only assigned to high schools and three middle schools in the district. Many parents say school shootings, like the one in San Bernardino, California in April, are a sad reality.
"Every time I drop my daughter off at school I wonder... is this the last time I'll see her," said Coppell ISD parent Nicole Sladovnik.
Coppell police say the rifles would be locked an office, but would be easier to get to in case a shooter came on campus. Currently, officers keep rifles in their police units outside the school.
Of approved, Coppell ISD will join Wylie, McKinney, Frisco, Southlake, Allen, Carrollton, Lewisville, Flower Mound and Farmersville where rifles are already carried.
