Wake County Schools committee expands safe-storage outreach, stresses inaccessibility over inoperability

Kendrick Scott, director of security for Wake County Schools, and Mister Cortez, director of special operations, told the Committee on Safety and Security on May 13 that the district has expanded outreach and resources for safe gun storage after the boards March 2024 resolution supporting secure storage.

The district said the campaign, tied to the states NC SAFE effort, emphasizes making firearms inaccessible (locked in safes) rather than only inoperable (using cable or trigger locks). Scott and Cortez also reviewed public-facing tools and reporting channels, including a 24/7 tip line and a —see something, say something— reporting application.

Why it matters: District staff said keeping firearms out of the reach of children and unauthorized users is the immediate goal of the initiative. Presenters and board members framed the work as nonpartisan safety messaging…