Galesburg Reporter

Illinois school districts will now be able to better protect its students and staff from armed intruders under a new law that allows for the installation of intruder barriers in classrooms.

“I am very pleased that this potentially life-saving measure was signed into law in time for the start of the new school year,” Rep. Dan Brady (R-Normal), a sponsor of the law, told Galesburg Reporter. “Our schools need to be safe havens from any threats of violence, and this new law will help make sure that classrooms can be quickly locked down in an emergency.”

The law was suggested by a local school superintendent and gives schools the ability to use door-locking devices that can be locked and unlocked from the inside of the classroom.

“In some local school buildings, locking a classroom door requires staff to insert a key in the door’s outside lock,” Brady said. “That means teachers have to go out into the hallway to lock their classroom door. In an active shooter situation that’s very dangerous and it also takes precious moments that may not be available. This new measure allows for the quick placement of a simple barricade device that will secure the classroom from the inside.”

Under the law, police and fire departments must be able to unlock the device from the outside using a key or tool. School districts are also required to conduct an in-service training program for staff members on the proper use of the device.

“The safety of students and staff in schools in my district, as well as across Illinois, is a priority of mine and providing continued ways in which to enhance their safety,” Brady said.