Citing the national school shooting epidemic and potential acts of terrorism, the Compton, California school board has approved a policy allowing select campus police officers to carry semi-automatic AR-15 rifles in their patrol cars while on duty.

The school board approved a policy in July that will allow certain school district officers to buy these rifles and hold them in their cars should a mass shooting or terror attack occur, according to KPCC. The school district will train the chosen officers, who will then carry the firearms in their cars starting next month.

If we encounter an active mass murderer on campus with a rifle or body armor, our officers may not adequately be prepared to stop that suspect, the group wrote. School Police Officers will undergo a training course, followed by a shooting proficiency test on a firing range and a written exam. The rifles are designed for increased accuracy and use rifled ammunition than can pierce body armor. The safety of our Students, Staff, and Parents are very important to us.

Compton Unified Police Chief William Wu told the school board that semi-automatic weapons are needed to counter body armor worn by shooters, which cannot be penetrated by standard firearms.