Higgins spoke with KPLC to preview a meeting on school safety Tuesday in Lafayette.
“It’s apart of the national narrative as it should be,” Higgins said.
Higgins said he’ll be taking a step back, and listening to school and law enforcement officials from throughout the state, getting ideas he can take back to Washington.
One idea that’s been circulating recently is the possibility of arming teachers.
Higgins said decisions like that should be made at the local and state level.
“I’m not against arming teachers, but I’d say in my experience as a police officer, that’s not a solution to a school shooter,” Higgins said. “The very nature of what’s required to put down an active shooter calls for responding and moving to that shooter. But the responsibility of that teacher is to lock-down and protect those kids.”
Higgins said hopes parents, school administrators, and law enforcement is able to find compromise moving forward.
“We have to come together and leave our most divisive emotions at the door,” Higgins said. “And work on practical solutions that could actually manifest within our society so we can culturally change and protect our schools without allowing our schools to become prisons.”
Higgins currently has two bills pending in the U-S House dealing with school safety.
