St. Louis County Police Chief Wants to Arm School Officials With Guns

According to KMOV.com, St. Louis County Police Chief Tim Fitch and police officers will begin visiting St. Louis County schools Monday morning.

Fitch said he's received numerous calls from area schools concerned about security since Friday's mass shooting in a Newtown, CT elementary school. 

Fitch acknowledges that most high schools and some middle schools, including those in West County, have armed school resource officers. 

However, elementary schools are not normally protected by officers. Fitch wants to see armed resource officers or armed school officials in those schools, according to KSDK.

He points out that Sandy Hook Elementary School conducted threat drills and locked its doors once class started, but that did not stop suspected shooter Adam Lanza from gunning down 20 children and six women Friday. 

St. Louis area schools also lock their doors when class starts and conduct threat drills. However, this week, Fitch plans to meet with school officials throughout the county to discuss increasing security at schools even more. 

His proposal includes putting guns in the schools, particularly the elementary schools. He said the weapons would remain locked up with trained staff members having access to them in an emergency. 

What do you think about Chief Fitch's proposal? Do you have a better suggestion? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Watch KMOV's entire here.

Watch KSDK's story here.