Former U.S. Representative and NRA consultant Asa Hutchinson was in Northwest Arkansas, discussing safety in schools.
He held a meeting in Rogers, and spoke with school superintendents and police about the National Rifle Association's latest recommendation of armed officers in schools nationwide. Hutchinson believes every district in the Natural State is searching for ways to better protect their students, so he is hoping to present some solutions.
He is leading the new National School Shield Program, which is a model security plan for schools that rely on armed volunteers.
"I have grandchildren that are going to schools and I'll tell you that if I had a choice of a child going to a school that had protection and a resource officer versus one that did not, in today's environment I would certainly want them to have the school with the added protection."
Hutchinson believes the debate will be whether state laws need to change to allow trained, armed volunteers on campus. He is also providing opinions on how to step up security through technology, architecture, funding, and pilot programs to address the mental health of students.
