MONTGOMERY–On Thursday, May 30 Governor Kay Ivey today announced the Alabama Sentry Program, a voluntary initiative permitting administrators in schools without an SRO to maintain an on-campus firearm in a secured safe in order to be prepared to respond to an active shooter.
AASB’s statement on the Alabama Sentry Program is as follows:
“School boards overwhelmingly view trained SROs as the optimal first line of defense against school violence and do not believe arming school personnel is a long-term solution; however, we recognize the governor’s desire to move quickly to ensure the safety of Alabama’s schoolchildren. The Alabama Sentry program appears to be a reasonable, interim solution with some sensible safeguards until the legislature can address this issue and identify a long-term plan to fund SROs.”
— Sally Smith, AASB Executive Director
