San Rafael Superintendent Outlines Security, Advocates Gun Control

SAN RAFAEL, CA — San Rafael City Schools Superintendent Jim Hogebloom outlined security procedures and advocated for further gun control measures in an emotional email sent to families following Tuesday’s elementary school shooting in Texas.

“As educators and parents, it is difficult to comprehend such catastrophic, violent events. When a mass shooting occurs at an elementary school and at least 19 children and two teachers are killed, it brings the sadness, frustration and anger to another level,” Hogebloom wrote of the massacre, which killed 19 children and two teachers.

Hogebloom said that the district partners local law enforcement groups on the latest safety protocols and procedures, and schools conduct “multiple” safety training and planning drills throughout the year. District schools have also enhanced perimeter and entry protocol, he added. Every school has a site-specific annual emergency plan that is drafted with the help of law enforcement and approved by the school board before the beginning of every year, Marin County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent Ken Lippi told Patch.

The San Rafael Police Department and the Marin County Sheriff’s Office have both confirmed that they will increase patrols to the schools, according to representatives for San Rafael City Schools and the Sheriff’s Office. On Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies and a school resource officer are visiting every school in the county to reassess security needs.

Hogebloom also shared the following list of school violence-related mental health resources with parents, and said that counselors are also available for students and staff throughout the district:

• Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators - infographic and article - National Association of School Psychologists
• Explaining the News to Our Kids - Common Sense Media
• Helping Children Cope with Frightening News - Child Mind Institute
• How to talk to children about shootings: An age-by-age guide - TODAY
• Coping in the Aftermath of a Shooting - American Counseling Association
• Teaching in the Wake of Violence - Facing History and Ourselves

Hogebloom also made an appeal for “common sense gun legislation.”

“How does this keep happening?” Hogebloom wrote. “I was with Coach Steve Kerr when he slammed his fist down in anger at a press conference and said, “Enough!” I believe enacting common sense gun legislation like background checks and limits to assault weapons must be done across our country. We must have the backbone to put limits on the gun industry. One step we can take is to contact elected officials to share our beliefs around gun safety laws.”

Following the shooting, Pres. Joe Biden made a similar plea for gun control measures, asking, “When in God’s name are we going to stand up to the gun lobby?” Biden is traveling to Texas to visit the grieving community.

On Tuesday, the California Senate passed a bill to allow private citizens to sue manufacturers of illegal assault weapons and untraceable ghost guns for at least $10,000. Many categories of assault weapons have been illegal in California since 1989.

“As we struggle to make sense of this, once again we are left to grieve and wonder how something so evil could happen,” Hogebloom wrote. “There are no easy answers, but pouring out love and appreciation to our children and to each other is the starting point. I believe that we can help troubled people get the help they need and that they are denied access to guns so that these nightmares end. We will do this with the care and focus needed to meet this imperative.

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