Long Branch schools to put armed guards in buildings

LONG BRANCH - Armed guards are being placed inside city schools in a move aimed at bolstering security in the aftermath of the Florida school massacre.

School officials would not say how many personnel would be hired, where they would be placed, or divulge any cost estimates. The school district has nine schools.

The move follows the Valentine's Day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a former student is accused in a shooting spree that claimed 17 lives.

"Considering recent events we must remain vigilant and proactive," said Michael Salvatore, Long Branch's school superintendent. "Therefore, we have invested in a specific partnership with our local authorities to retain Class III Officers."

A Class 3 Special Officer is a retired law enforcement agent.

Former Gov. Chris Christie signed a law into place in 2016 that allows public and nonpublic schools and county colleges to hire retired law enforcement officers on a part-time basis to provide security on school grounds.

The school officials are getting an assist from the city's police department, which is in the process of taking resumes for multiple officer positions. Officials have released few other details.

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The city is looking to have the guards in the schools for the nine months of the school year, said Police Chief Jason Roebuck. He said the personnel would not be there to arrest or discipline students.

"They will be interacting with the students on a daily basis by just being there in uniform," said Roebuck. "They would work for and would be under the direction of the police department, with input from the school,"

The Long Branch Police Department posted an announcement about the guards on its Facebook page on March 2. The post received considerable support but also some cautions – mirroring the nationwide debate. Proponents have argued it would be negligent not to put more armed personnel in schools; opponents say the answer to school violence is not more guns. Watch the above video for quick facts about guns in America.

One poster said her 9-year old grandson attended a city public school. The poster said she had kept him home from school after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012 where 26 students and staff were killed by a lone gunman.

"It is terrifying when you send your child to school and this is now the environment of normal," the post said. "Of course, I want him safe and support this added layer of security but my heart is breaking because of the world we know now."

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The pay scale for the officers has not been set. Roebuck said it will be significantly less than what a full-time officer earns. The retired officers are also not eligible for additional pension or healthcare.

The armed guards would be on top of several safety tactics already in place in the city's public schools.

Salvatore said the district equips over 1,000 employees with technology that allows for each person to signal the entire school community and law enforcement of emergencies and suspicious events.

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The district has also engaged with a social media screening corporation, which will geo-tag posts created in the community and alert emergency personnel of threats in real-time.

"School safety has always been an important topic for our city and we realize that within the context of our progressive society we must match the advancements with modernizing security," said Salvatore.

Dan Radel: Twitter@danielradelapp; 732-643-4072; dradel@gannettnj.com