Felder: Kids & Schools Are Vulnerable To Terror

November 5, 2017 (Midwood, NY) --- “This week’s deadly truck attack in front of Stuyvesant High School and the Hudson River Middle School proved once and for all that our students and schools are vulnerable to terror,” said Senator Simcha Felder. “There is only one solution: Having an armed NYPD officer stationed in front of every city school.”

“New York schools are still being guarded by unarmed resource officers,” said Senator Felder. “When a situation calls for immediate action, all they can do is call the police. That makes every school a soft target and every student a potential victim.”

“What are we waiting for?” asked Senator Felder. “We just had a terrorist plow through innocent people on a crowded bike path. Footsteps away were thousands of students walking straight into the carnage; what else has to happen before we realize times have changed?”

“By the grace of God, Police Officer Ryan Nash happened to be in front of the school, and was there to neutralize the attacker and shield those children from harm,” said Felder. “It was clearly a miracle, but we can’t rely on miracles to protect our schools.”

“Children have the right to be safe and we have a responsibility to prevent anyone from hurting them,” he adds. “Banks have two armed guards on every truck transporting their money, why are our kids worth any less?”

“The most effective solution is my proposed legislation to have a trained, armed, and courageous NYPD officer standing in front, guarding our children whenever they’re in school,” Senator Felder concludes. “Every school needs the protection of a hero like Police Officer Nash standing at its front door; it is time to give them what they need.”

Senator Felder introduced Senate Bill 6798 earlier this year, which would require a police officer to be present at all New York City schools during instructional hours.