Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says he will fight for a federal law requiring armed officers in every high school if elected to the Senate.
The Republican wants national legislation similar to what he did for Maryland six years ago as governor. He’s also drawing a contrast with his Democratic opponent, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.
Mr. Hogan pointed to the county’s decision in 2021 to reduce the ranks of officers with arresting powers — known as school security personnel — from its schools. He says the move only invited more fights and violence.
Locked in a tough battle for the Senate, Mr. Hogan is contrasting the county’s move with his 2018 legislation to ensure a police presence in schools.
“There is nothing more important than keeping our children safe. That’s why I pushed and signed into law the Safe to Learn Act, which included a requirement and funding to have armed school resource officers in every single high school in the state. Sadly, my opponent is removing security from the schools in Prince George’s County,” Mr. Hogan said.
“In the Senate, I’ll work to pass components of my Safe to Learn act at the federal level so students across America will be protected,” Mr. Hogan said.
He is leaning into the school safety issue after another horrific school shooting, this time in Georgia, claimed the lives of two teachers and two students. Last week, a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot in a school bathroom in Harford County, Maryland. A 16-year-old boy from the school is charged with first-degree murder.
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In March 2021, Ms. Alsobrooks announced she was implementing school changes drafted by the Police Reform Work Group, “including the recommendation to invest in mental health programs and restorative approaches to student discipline.”
Discussions about recalibrating the police presence in education settings — some called it a school-to-prison pipeline — were sparked in part by the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.
The county started reducing the number of officers with arresting powers in early 2021 while increasing mental health and social services. It kept a separate group of officers, known as school resource officers (SROs) in place because of their popularity with parents and the need to comply with the 2018 Maryland law.
