Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says school violence has “no end in sight” unless aggressive measures are undertaken for safety.
Metal detectors should be installed in local schools, he says, before the start of the 2018-19 school year.
Here is the full text of a statement issued by the mayor Friday:
“The tragedy at Santa Fe High School is a painful reminder that our children are vulnerable in the very place we send them to be nurtured and educated. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families who must live with the heinous actions committed by cowards.
“But for those of us in government, expressions of support are not enough. The next steps should be policy changes to provide school districts in our local communities and across Texas with resources to keep students and teachers safe.
“School districts across Texas should consider installing metal detectors in all campus buildings. Metal detectors are a deterrent to anyone who might try to bring deadly weapons into schools. They also can detect weapons carried by the undeterred.
“As we care about protecting travelers and visitors to federal, state and locally owned buildings, we must also show the same sense of urgency, concern, and compassion toward children and adults in schools. Schools must be made to be as safe as airports and government buildings.
“The cost of installing metal detectors may be an obstacle for some school districts. Therefore, I call on state elected leaders to make funding metal detectors and other security measures in schools a priority across Texas.
“When schools open in the next school year, metal detectors should be in place to provide additional safety for our children.
“For now, there is no end in sight to the evil school shootings plaguing our country.
“We must make a change now because our children’s lives are worth protecting. I will explore further possible policy changes in consultation with the Mayor’s Commission Against Gun Violence, whose members I will announce in a few days.”