Trustees OK Guns for Daytime School Police : Education: In an effort to protect youngsters and curb violence near campuses, the school board is adding daylight firepower.

In an effort to curb violence near school campuses, the Santa Ana Unified School District has agreed to allow its two daytime police officers to carry guns when they patrol the neighborhoods surrounding the district’s 41 schools.

The decision to arm the daytime officers is a “safeguard” to protect children from rising gang violence, said school board member James Richards, who voted with two other board members to arm the officers with .38-caliber handguns.

“We’re responding to an increase of violence in gangs. We don’t plan on waiting for victims. We want to have a leg up against crime,” Richards said.

Board member Audrey Yamagata-Noji voted against the measure. She was not available for comment. Board President Robert L. Richardson was absent for the vote, which was taken Tuesday night.

Previously, Santa Ana Unified allowed only its eight night officers to carry guns, district officials said. The district has its own police force with a total of 10 sworn officers. However, for several years, an armed officer from the Santa Ana Police Department has been stationed at each of the district’s four high schools.

Santa Ana Unified School District, which has a student population of 42,000, also employs about 27 security officers, who are not armed, in the city’s middle and high schools, district spokeswoman Diane Thomas said.

Neighboring Garden Grove Unified School district, which does not have its own police force, also has armed police officers stationed in its high schools.

However, in other school districts in the county, officials say they have no immediate plans to further arm their campus officers.

Orange Unified School District officials said they have considered having armed police officers on their campuses but have not pursued it.

“We have talked to the Police Department about this. But right now it’s on the back burner,” said Tom Neill, a spokesman for the district.

Thursday was the first day Santa Ana daytime police officers were allowed to carry guns. Officer Ken Southern, who has been on the district police force for a year, said having a gun would not make much difference in his job patrolling the district’s schools.

“It’s just another piece of equipment,” Southern said.

According to Southern, gang violence has not been a major problem for the schools. “Yes, there are some gangs, but it’s only a tiny fraction of the whole student population,” he said.

The board began considering whether to arm its daytime officers several months ago, after a May shooting incident at Santa Ana High School, Richards said. In that incident, two 15-year-old girls were shot and slightly injured a block away from the school. The pair were caught in the cross-fire of two rival gangs.

District officers need guns because they were being challenged by trespassers on school grounds, said Ray Allison, manager of the district’s police unit.