A consultant hired by the National Rifle Association recommended Tuesday that at least one armed guard be stationed on every campus in America as part of a three-month review on how to make schools safer in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.
But Asa Hutchinson, a former Republican congressman from Arkansas and former head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, said his task force of law enforcement experts did not examine -- and had no opinion -- about the legislation being considered by Congress except to say that any proposal is inadequate if it does not include specific proposals to make schools safer.
“I have not focused on the separate debate in Congress about firearms and how they should be handled,” he said.
Hutchison unveiled the group’s 225-page report at a packed news conference attended by dozens of journalists and more than a dozen armed guards paid for by the NRA that were positioned around the room and hallways at the National Press Club in downtown Washington.
The School Shield Task Force made eight recommendations that includes training programs for school resource officers, online school security assesments, improved federal education and funding and additional coordination between schools and law enforcement.
The NRA issued a statement after the news conference.
“The National Rifle Association is determined to continue to use every asset at its disposal to help make America’s children safe at school. We need time to digest the full report. We commend Asa Hutchinson for his rapid response in the aftermath of the Newtown tragedy, and we are certain the contributions he and his team have made will go a long way to making America’s schools safer.”