A request from teachers for armed security guards at Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School is on hold pending further discussions with stakeholders.
It came after a student was found with a live bullet on school grounds last week, and a few days later, a second child shared a threatening voice note.
The incident led staff to refuse to continue work until enhanced security measures were implemented to ensure a safe environment.
On 20 January, the Anguilla Teachers’ Union submitted a letter to chief education officer Bren Romney, outlining requested changes, including the use of armed security.
“Teachers suggested that armed personnel should be stationed away from the general student population, as this was done with the previous security firm,” the letter read.
‘Touchy subject’
During a press conference the next day, on 21 January, union president Terron Azille clarified that any decision on the matter would require consultation with all relevant stakeholders.
“Because we recognise that it’s a very touchy subject having armed persons on the campus,” he said.
Azille said that during a meeting earlier in the week, teachers said they had previously seen armed security on campus, but later discussions indicated otherwise.
“It may have been a case where the security firm would have armed persons on their staff, and they probably were walking through and they were spotted,” he said.
Azille concluded by stating that the current consensus is that armed security is not permitted at the school without further consultation, adding: “There’s nothing agreed on at this point.”
Risk assessment
During a press conference later that day, the chief education officer said putting armed security guards or police on campus would be a shift in government policy.
“So it’s critically important that we have the necessary consultations and do a risk assessment of what that will mean with having armed officers on campus,” Romney said.
“We just have to put on the news in the US and see the challenges that they’ve had with that [or] when they experimented with it in the UK or other localities.”
He said the government has asked the Royal Anguilla Police Force to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment, and planned to meet with parents on 22 January to discuss the matter.
“We want our teachers and our students and our parents to feel secure when they are on our campuses, and we’ll do whatever it takes to make that happen,” he said.
“But we cannot rush into certain decisions without carefully studying them and trying to make a determination as to what is feasible, what is safe and what will not make matters worse.”
