I support Sen. Rick Scott's proposed Guardian Act

Recent tragic events around the country have once again brought the issue of school safety to the forefront of the national conversation. As Sheriff of Citrus County, I have seen firsthand the importance of having well-trained, armed law enforcement officers in our schools to protect our students and staff. It is vital that we take immediate action to protect our children and provide a safe learning environment. For these very reasons, I am expressing my full support for Sen. Rick Scott’s recent proposal placing a sworn law enforcement officer on every school campus in the country. Following the horrific mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Sen. Scott has introduced a new bill in the U.S. Senate called the School Guardian Act of 2023. This bill creates a block grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, to support the hiring and funding of one or more sworn law enforcement officers for all K-12 schools. If this bill passes, it would provide a sense of assurance and comfort for parents and families, knowing that their children are being protected by law enforcement professionals who are highly trained and well-equipped to handle emergencies such as high-risk situations, active assailants, and critical incidents on our school campuses all across the United States.

Sen. Scott seeks to build upon his efforts as governor of Florida, where he helped pass the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Act in 2018 to improve school safety across the state with increased law enforcement and security measures. Since passage of that legislation five years ago, Florida has been extremely successful in improving school safety and continues to set the standard for the rest of the nation. I have no doubt that this model could be expanded and enhanced to a national level to ensure consistency of services, effectiveness in deployment, and afford top-quality protection across all K-12 campuses in the country.