Ala. schools would change with NRA plan

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - A National Rifle Association proposal to put armed officers in every U.S. school would mean a change in Alabama, where such assignments aren't the routine for police.

While Alabama has 1,523 public schools, the Alabama Association of School Resource Officers says the state has only 200 armed officers stationed in schools.

The president of the group, Lee County Sheriff's Department Cpl. Pamela Revels, says funding is typically a roadblock to more officer patrols.

Revels says school resource officers often are based in high schools but also respond to problems that arise in elementary or middle schools.

The executive director of the Alabama Association of School Boards, Sally Howell, says the big question is who would be allowed to carry guns in schools.