Houston Mayor's Commission Against Gun Violence issues recommendations

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - School districts all around the area, including Houston, are making plans to lessen the threat of gun violence.

Constable Mark Herman for Harris County Precinct 4 says about 300 deputies including undercover officers will patrol schools in the precinct throughout the year.

It’s a step to hopefully prevent or stop another school shooting.

“I think visibility is a huge deterrence,” said Herman.

On Spring Independent School District’s first day back, more than 100 deputies were on hand.

"There was some concern with some of kids being reluctant to come back to school because of these incidents,” added Herman referring to school shootings.

He says his department worked with the five major school districts in the precinct to come up with ways to better help their ISD police officers.

More officers in schools are also key recommendation from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner's Commission Against Gun Violence.

In 60 days, the group came up with 30 proposals to make schools, neighborhoods and communities safer. They recommendations were split into four categories: school safety, firearms safety and access, community safety, and sexual assault and domestic violence.

"Some of the mentorship programs and the in-school curriculum — violence prevention programs,” said Andrew Yoo, a law student and chair of the school safety sub-committee.

Others recommendations include more mental health resources in schools, addressing violence in along the Scott Street corridor, and a gun storage awareness campaign.

"Looking at school to prison pipeline and how that can affect our inner city students and put them in a position to where they feel like their always in prison and how that can affect them later in life,” McClinton said.

The commission says they’ll now take the recommendations to the school districts and respective stakeholders.

The group also says they’ll issue a set of legislative proposals for Texas lawmakers later this year.