Scott holds workshops to discuss school safety, gun laws

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday met with members of law enforcement, school administrators, teachers, mental health experts and leaders of various state agencies to discuss school safety and possible changes to gun laws.

The series of roundtable discussions comes less than one week after deputies said a 19-year-old man killed 17 people and injured more than a dozen others at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Since then, leaders in Central Florida and throughout the state have called for change.

"I'm a believer in: Let's put a deputy in every school, and let's arm our teachers at the same time. There's nothing that says we have to pick one of those two. I think we really have to look at mental health standards in our country today," said Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey.

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"While there are only three weeks left of the legislative session, we must make changes to keep students safe," Scott said. "A tragedy like what occurred in Broward County must never happen again, and swift action is needed now."

Scott called on leaders to prevent school violence and to keep those with mental illness from having access to guns.

A law enforcement workshop was held at Florida Sheriffs Association to discuss ways to prevent people with mental illness from accessing guns and discuss potential safety improvements to gun laws.

"I think everyone in that room is in agreement that people who are mentally ill or make threats to harm themselves or others shouldn't have access to a firearm, and that's one of the things we're working on today," Orlando Police Chief John Mina said.

Those in attendance discussed the Baker Act, under which people with mental illness may be involuntarily committed for as many as 72 hours while a psychological evaluation is conducted.

"As a father of four children in public school, I was horrified by what happened in Parkland," Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said. "Many Floridians are demanding actions, and I am, too."

Cox Media Group