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Detroit pastor says there are 'better options' than arming teachers

Posted at 5:26 AM, Feb 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-26 05:26:36-05

The gun debate continues to rage across the country after the massacre at the Florida High School.

President Donald Trump has suggested arming teachers to help better protect students and stem future gun violence.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig has also expressed support in arming ‘some’ teachers and only with a proper vetting process.

A local pastor and principal at a school in Detroit Public Schools Community District is speaking out and calling foul.  

"It just makes no sense to bring guns into the classroom environment where it's not going to make kids safer, it's going to put them further in jeopardy,” said Dr. Jeffery Robinson, the pastor at Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church on Detroit’s east side.

Robinson is also the principal at Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy on Detroit’s west side and he’s been with DPSCD for 24 years.

"The potential for a child to get a hold of a gun and there to be another incident the way we've seen in other schools, it's just too high, I think we need to be thinking on other solutions to make schools safe,” said Robinson.

He said there are better options, like more training for security guards and more guards at schools. 

"The gun violence in our community in our society, we need to challenge rather than accommodate, bringing more guns in is not the solution,” said Robinson.

"I was so displeased at the chief's comments, number one, he should be contributing to supporting the conversation, but what's best for the schools ought to be the conversation of educators, not police,” said Robinson.