LAKELAND, Fla. -- Polk County Sheriff’s Grady Judd has been vocal about changes he says the state needs following the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School last week that left 17 people dead.
Over the weekend, Judd discussed ways he says will keep kids safe on campus, touting his department’s Sentinel Program, which went into effect at Southeastern University last year. The program deputizes people selected by the university and screen by the sheriff’s office.
These "special deputies" are there for security in the event of an attacker on campus.
“The guy comes onto the campus with a gun. No one has a gun.It’s easy to shoot,” Judd said. “It’s a game changer when all of a sudden, two or three people are shooting back at you. I’ll promise you that.”
► SAFETY: Bulletproof blankets and backpacks are real
► GUNS ON CAMPUS? Stoneman Douglas shooting reignites debate
► SENDING A MESSAGE: Student who survived shooting has message for Trump, NRA
Judd is also calling on the Florida legislature to authorize statewide training for teachers, staff and students on what to do in the event of an attack on campus.
And he’s asking them to make changes to Florida’s Baker Act to allow them to take preventative action if someone’s showing signs they may carry out an attack. Currently, the Baker Act is a means of providing people with emergency services and temporary detention for mental health evaluation and treatment, either on a voluntary or an involuntary basis.
“If we don’t see any immediate mental health, we can’t Baker Act. Just give us the tools," Judd said. "But most importantly, don’t let politics and gun control bog this down.”
Judd also addressed the issue of AR-15s and other assault rifles being legal, saying now’s not the time to discuss what type of weapon was used last week.
“If we could wave a wand and do away with all the AR-15s, all the assault rifles, they’d show up with shotguns and do the same carnage," Judd said. "So let’s don’t weigh this down with ‘what about this gun, what about that gun.’ That just happens to be the gun of the day. Let’s have that discussion later on."
Nikolas Cruz is accused of walking into Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida Wednesday and killing 17 students. Several others were wounded.
►Stay updated on this and other developing stories. Download the 10 News app now.
Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
