In the wake of a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead, Sen. Patty Ritchie says she is “advocating for a number of efforts to better protect children and teachers from harm, as well as to improve mental health services for students.”

Among the changes being proposed by Ritchie is the restoration of a program—known as the School Resource Officer Program—that places police officers inside schools “to enhance security,” her office said. School Resource Officers are state and local police who are assigned, full-time, to schools during the day.

“They can play a role in helping protect students from not only violence, but also drugs and alcohol, bullying and other issues inside our schools,” Ritchie’s office said in a news release. “Nearly a decade ago, due to budget cuts, the New York State Police ended its School Resource Officer Program, leaving many districts to find a way to implement the service provided by the School Resource Officers on their own. Since becoming a senator in 2011, Senator Ritchie has been advocating for a return of the program.”

In addition to advocating for the placement of law enforcement officers schools statewide, Ritchie has also introduced a measure, (S7816) that would provide all teachers—as well as staff members who have significant, daily student contact—with wearable, personal safety alarms so they can instantly alert administrators and call for help in the event of an emergency.

Ritchie’s office says she will also be taking the following steps to help ensure student and educator safety:

• Introducing legislation that would direct the New York State Police and NYS Homeland Security to review school safety plans for every school district—a step that would “provide school districts with an additional tool to identify security gaps and then address them,” her office said.

• Supporting a measure that would waive the law that limits how much a retired police officer can earn if they want to work as a school security office.

• Working to ensure children have access to mental health counseling and support services in schools, while also calling for “a top-to-bottom review of how New York State provides mental health services to students,” her office said.

In addition, Ritchie will meet with superintendents from school districts she represents in the coming week, to hear their feedback on what tools and resources they need to prevent any potential tragedies.

“The safety of our children—especially in a place like a school—has to be among our top priorities. It is for me, as a mother and a grandmother,” Ritchie, a Republican from Heuvelton, said in a prepared statement. “It is incumbent on all of us to look for ways to make our schools safer. From restoring the School Resource Officer Program to improving mental health services, there are a number of efforts we can pursue to ensure that our students, and all who work to educate them, are safe.”

Ritchie’s 48th Senate District covers most of northern and western St. Lawrence County, including Ogdensburg, Canton and Gouverneur. It stretches south into Jefferson and Oswego counties.