Felder Renews Call For Armed Guards In Schools

Sen. Simcha Felder renewed his call — for the second time in the last several weeks — for armed New York City police officers in schools following a shooting at a California elementary school that left five dead, including the gunman.

“An armed guard outside would have neutralized this insane attacker the moment he arrived,” said Felder, a Democrat from Brooklyn who conferences with Senate Republicans. “It’s crucial that the students were in lockdown; but that is not the solution.”

Felder has made this call before, including earlier this month after a man killed eight people using a rental truck in New York City.

“New York public schools are protected by unarmed resource officers. But times have changed and the days of unarmed guards are over,” Felder said. “When a situation calls for immediate action, all they can do is call the police.”

The call so far has not been taken up, with officials citing the cost of staffing every school in New York City with a police officer.