Part of Texas Gov. Abbott's solution for making Uvalde schools safer after the mass shooting: more cops

Law enforcement officers stand looking at a memorial following a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 26, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with the gunman fatally shot by law enforcement.

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• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is rolling out plans for the upcoming school year in Uvalde, Texas. 
• One of his steps to increase security includes adding 30 police officers to patrol the schools. 
• The plan comes after a scathing report detailed failures by cops during the Robb Elementary mass shooting. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced how the state will make Uvalde, Texas, classrooms safer this fall: adding dozens of cops to the district's schools.

Thirty new police officers will patrol the district at the request of the schools' superintendent, Abbott said, weeks after a scathing report revealed widespread failures by police that allowed a lone gunman to kill 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in May.

A total of 376 law enforcement officers responded to the shooting, the investigation by the Texas House revealed. Yet, as dozens of cops stood just feet away from the classroom where the shooter carried out his attack, police didn't confront him for over an hour as the school's police chief fiddled with finding a key to unlock the door. 

"They failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety," the report said. 

A spokesperson for UCISD superintendent Hal Harrell didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

In the announcement laying out the state's plan for the upcoming school year, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McCraw said on Wednesday he's working to ensure "each child, parent, and teacher feels safe and protected during this difficult time."

"We know going back to school will be especially challenging for many in Uvalde," McCraw said in the statement. 

Steps to make Uvalde safer also included investments by the governor's office, including $5 million for a long-term mental health hub in Uvalde and $1.25 million to fund counseling and crisis intervention in the district.

The governor's office highlighted the $105.5 million invested in "school safety and mental health initiatives" in Texas announced in June. Of those funds, $50 million will go toward buying bullet-resistant shields for the schools. 

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