Security Guards on the Job in Manatee Schools

Students at 31 of Manatee County’s 33 elementary schools welcomed new faces on campus Wednesday.

A team of security guards from Sarasota Security Patrol reported for duty at the schools for the first time Wednesday. Manatee’s other two schools – Palmetto and Anna Maria – both have sworn law enforcement officers working as School Resource Officers on their campuses, according to the Bradenton Herald.

The unarmed security guards are on the campuses to provide extra security for students, faculty and staff. They carry only radios and handcuffs.

While Manatee County Sheriff Brad Stuebe would like to see more SROs in schools, that isn’t likely to happen until next year. The school district and sheriff’s office would need to start conversations about that prospect soon, Steube told the paper.

Check out the Herald’s full story here.

What do you think about having unarmed security guards on campus? Would SROs be the better choice? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

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