>> WE TOLD HER WE LEFT HER AND
PICK HER UP AFTER SCHOOL.
I CAN SEE HER WALKING WITH US
TOWARD THE EXIT.
IN THE WILL THAT KEEPS
SCROLLING ACROSS MY MEMORY SHE
SMILES BACK AT US TO
ACKNOWLEDGE MY PROMISE AND THEN
WE LEFT.
I LEFT MY DAUGHTER AT THAT
SCHOOL AND THAT DECISION WILL
HAUNT ME FOR THE REST OF MY
LIFE.
>> PARENTS OF CHILDREN KILLED
IN UVALDE, TEXAS, 19 CHILDREN M
TOTAL, TESTIFIED BEFORE
CONGRESS THIS WEEK IN THE WAKE
OF THE SECOND MOST DEADLY
SCHOOL SHOOTING IN THE NATION'S
HISTORY, LAWMAKERS IN
WASHINGTON ARE BEING PRESSED TO
ACT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK DEMOCRATS IN
THE HOUSE PASSED GUN CONTROL
LEGISLATION INCLUDING
INCREASING THE AGE REQUIREMENT
FOR PURCHASING SEMI AUTOMATIC
RIFLES.
IN THE SENATE THERE IS A
BIPARTISAN GROUP FOCUSING ON A
SMALLER PACKAGE OF CHANGES.
ENHANCING SCHOOL SECURITY AND
MORE BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR
YOUNG ADULTS.
WE'RE JOINED BY TRISH KILPIN
THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF
SCHOOL SAFETY IN THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
LET'S START WITH WHAT MESSAGE
DID YOU SEND OUT TO WISCONSIN
SCHOOLS IN THE IMMEDIATE
AFTERMATH OF THE UVALDE
SHOOTING?
>> WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY BEEN
SENDING MESSAGES TO WISCONSIN
SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM ENGAGE IN
BEST PRACTICES FOR SCHOOL
SAFETY.
SCHOOL SAFETY IS BEST
UNDERSTOOD AS A COMPREHENSIVE
SAFETY MODEL AND THAT INCLUDES
HELPING TO INSURE THAT KIDS
FEEL BOTH PHYSICALLY SAFE IN
THEIR BUILDING.
THEY KNOW THE DOORS ARE LOCKED
AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY WILL BE
SAFE FROM HARM.
AND THEN PSYCHOLOGICALLY SAFE
AS WELL WHERE THEY FEEL A SENSE
OF CONNECTION AND BELONGING IN
THEIR BUILDINGS AND THEY KNOW
THAT WHEN PROBLEMS ARISE THE
STAFF WILL HELP AND SUPPORT
THEM AND PROTECT THEM.
WE CONTINUE TO WORK TO LET
SCHOOLS KNOW ABOUT WHAT SOME OF
THOSE MODEL PRACTICES ARE AND
HOW TO MAKE SURE WE WERE
HITTING ALL MISSION AREAS OF
PROTECTION WHICH WOULD INCLUDE
PREVENTING VIOLENCE, PROTECTING
KIDS FROM HARM, MITIGATING THE
TRAUMA EFFECTS IF SOMETHING
DOES OCCUR AND THEN OUR
RESPONSE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS.
>> WE INTERVIEWED A FORMER
TEACHER WHO NOW WORKS FOR THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
INSTRUCTION LAST WEEK ON "HERE
AND NOW" AND TOLD US ACTIVE
SHOOTING DRILLS CAN BE
TERRIFYING FOR STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THAT WITH
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE IT CAN
INFLICT?
>> WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF
AN INCIDENT OCCURS THAT WE'RE
ABLE TO RESPOND NOT -- THOUGHT
THROUGH OUR RESPONSE SO IT'S
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME WHAT
PEOPLE ARE THINKING HOW TO KEEP
THEMSELVES SAFE.
THAT SAID, IT IS SUPER
IMPORTANT THAT OUR DRILL OR NO
DRAMA, NO TRAUMA.
WE KNOW THERE ARE THINGS WE CAN
DO TO PRACTICE THE DRILLS SUCH
AS A LOCKDOWN, THE LOCKDOWN IS
THE BASIS FOR MOST DRILLS AND
IT MEANS LOCK THE DOOR, TURN
OFF THE LIGHTS AND STAY QUIET
OR SIT IN AN AREA OF THE ROOM
QUIETLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY,
LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHER.
SO THAT STAFF CAN GIVE
INSTRUCTIONS TO KIDS ABOUT WHAT
TO DO NEXT.
THE TYPES OF DRILLS THAT ARE
DONE IN SCHOOL SHOULD BE
PROGRESSIVE AND THERE IS GREAT
VALUE FROM DRILLS SUCH AS
TABLETOP DRILLS IS WHAT WE CALL
THEM.
THEY ARE TALKING THROUGH IF
THIS WOULD HAPPEN WHAT WOULD WE
DO.
FOR YOUNGEST CHILDREN IT WOULD
BE WHEN DRILLS.
IF THAT WOULD HAPPEN, WHAT
WOULD WE DO NEXT AND PRACTICING.
>> CONGRESS IS CURRENTLY
DEBATING A SERIES OF PROPOSALS
THAT COULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL
FUNDING FOR SCHOOL SECURITY.
WHAT WOULD IT MEAN FOR
WISCONSIN SCHOOLS?
HOW SHOULD THEY USE THAT MONEY
IF IT DOES ARRIVE?
>> MOST OF THE FUNDING I'M
HEARING ABOUT WOULD BE IN THE
FORM OF GRANTS.
WE'RE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THOSE
GRANTS AND WE HAVE BEEN SO FAR.
HERE IN WISCONSIN WE'RE HOPING
THAT WE ARE ABLE TO GET STABLE
AND PREDICTABLE STATE FUNDS FOR
OUR OFFICE.
OUR OFFICE IS SMALL.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS GOING
ON WITH FEDERAL GRANTS SUCH AS
A CRITICAL INCIDENT RESPONSE
GRANT RIGHT NOW TRAINING TEAMS
TO BE ENGAGING IN BEST
PRACTICES IF THINGS WERE TO
OCCUR THAT WERE TRAUMATIC FOR
OUR STUDENTS AND WE ALSO HAVE A
THREAT ASSESSMENT GRANT.
THEY'RE FEDERAL GRANTS.
WE'D WELCOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES
FOR FEDERAL DOLLARS AND LIKE
STATE DOLLARS IN ORDER TO
CONTINUE OUR WORK.
>> WHEN PEOPLE HEAR ABOUT
SCHOOL SAFETY GRANTS THEY THINK
ABOUT HARDENING A SCHOOL LIKE
BULLET PROOFING FOR LOCKING
DOWN DOORS OR MORE SECURITY.
WOULD THAT BE INVOLVED IN THIS
AS WELL?
>> THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE HAVE SECURE
ENTRANCES.
EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS TO THINK
ABOUT WHAT WE CALL PREVENTION
OR UPSTREAM PREVENTION WHERE
WE'RE BUILDING SCHOOL CULTURES
WHERE KIDS FEEL A SENSE OF
BELONGING AND THEY FEEL THAT
THEY LIKE THEIR SCHOOL TO BE
SAFE.
THEY FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL AND
THEN BUILDING THAT CULTURE OF
HELP SEEKING SO IF PROBLEMS
EMERGE, KIDS ARE LIKELY TO TELL
AN ADULT OR TRUSTED PERSON SO
WE CAN INTERVENE AND GET THE
CHILD DEMONSTRATING THOSE TYPES
OF CONCERNS THE HELP THEY NEED
AND DESERVE.
>> SOME REPUBLICANS HAVE
PROPOSED ARMING TEACHERS.
DOES YOUR OFFICE HAVE A
POSITION ON THIS IDEA?
>> I BELIEVE THAT COMPREHENSIVE
SCHOOL SAFETY MUST INCLUDE ALL
ASPECTS I MENTIONED BEFORE
MAKING KIDS PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND
PHYSICALLY SAFE.
BEING A TEACHER IS A VERY
COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT JOB AND I
WOULD SUPPORT MAKING SURE THAT
WE LOOK AT ALL ASPECTS OF
SCHOOL SAFETY BEFORE WE
CONSIDER ARMING TEACHERS.
>> WE ONLY HAVE A FEW SECONDS
LEFT.
WHAT ABOUT SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS?
THERE IS CONTROVERSY WHETHER
THEY HELP IN THE HOLISTIC SENSE
OR THE VALUE OF THEM IN THE
THREAT OF AN ACTIVE SHOOTER.
>> SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS,
WHEN THEY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE SCHOOL THAT'S CLEARLY
DEFINED.
THEY HAVE A MEMORANDUM OF
UNDERSTANDING THAT DIRECTS
THEIR ACTIONS AND HOW THEY
WOULD RESPOND AND WHEN THEY
WOULD INTERVENE CAN BE HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE IN SCHOOLS AND I
WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULDN'T
STOP HAVING SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS BUT INVEST IN THE TYPE
OF TRAINING AND SUPPORT WE NEED
IN SCHOOLS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
IN ORDER TO COLLABORATE AND