Two state senators in Connecticut have proposed a $15 million initiative to help schools increase security, one of dozens of school safety measures being considered by lawmakers across the country since a series of school shootings earlier this fall.
Speaking at New Britain High School in New Britain, Sen. Donald J. DeFronzo and Senate President Pro Tempore Donald E. Williams, both Democrats, announced Dec. 1 that they would introduce legislation next month that would direct money from the state’s $266 million surplus, as well as from bond funds, to beef up security at schools around Connecticut.
Most of the money—$10 million—would go to buy surveillance cameras, entry-door buzzer systems, panic alarms, and other equipment. The initiative also calls for $4 million to train school personnel on how to use new equipment and improve their coordination with local police, fire, and emergency officials. About $1 million would help school officials pay to conduct security evaluations.
