OC councilman wants to arm school staff to increase security

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif.

The controversial debate has hit close to home. San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Derek Reeve is calling on local schools to increase security by arming willing and trained staff members.

Reeve said he has sat in local classrooms, and he feels there is no deterrent to a shooter intent on doing harm. However, arming trained staffers may help in certain emergency situations.

"It is impossible to legislate away evil however we can establish procedures to deter and delay the unlikelihood of an attack," Reeve said.

This practice is already in place in parts of Texas.

Teachers in Harrold, Texas have been carrying guns for years. Harrold Independent School District Superintendent David Thweatt said all teachers who do carry weapons must have a concealed handgun license, get approved by the school board and undergo additional training for accuracy.

Thweatt told ABC News that schools are targeted since they are unprotected, and insisted that teachers have the right to defend their classrooms. Harrold is a small town with only 103 children and one school district. Arming teachers is a deterrent never deployed in a large district.

ABC News contributed to this report.

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