a police officers office inside each school

[W.E.G.]

A "police officer" does not have to be somebody who is paid.

One can become a volunteer LEO (think Sheriff's Deputy or Auxilliary Police Officer).

I would think that there must be AT LEAST ONE staff member, at every school, who would be willing to take training equivalent to that required to become a part-time Deputy or an Auxiliary Officer.

Similarly, Virginia has laws that allow appointment of a Special Conservator of the Peace, who is given most police powers, and usually restricted in area (typically businesses). Reasonable and affordable training, well short of full "police academy" training, specified by the state agency responsible for supervision of police is required for such an appointment.

I think our school leaders have been LAZY in not exploring, and implementing, this sort of program before these horrible incidents were allowed to happen.

Failing to plan = planning to fail.

 

[ATLDave]

Such a program could easily be paid for many times over by re-allocating all the resources currently spent policing against marijuana.

 

[Sky]

I did not look it up but in Tx. around 2008 we had one school North of Dennison which started letting their CHL teachers carry concealed. The number of CHLs at the school is unknown for security reasons but since then there have been other schools which have followed their example. Their program does not cost federal Tax dollars and is voluntary on the staffs part. Once you volunteer it is taken seriously by all involved; just part of the job. Simple solution regardless of what the nay Sayers say.

 

[25cschaefer]

Putting police in schools is not the answer, there are already police in many high schools. After all of the crazies went around stabbing kids in China back in 2010, the government put security guards in every school in the country yet, last week, a wacko stabbed something like 20 kids and an elderly woman before he was stopped by the guards.

 

[David White]

We have had local experience with school resource officers, as armed school guards are known. They are usually training for full-time deputy service.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9025899
Rain Smith, "Police officers kill gunman at Sullivan Central", Kingsport Times-News, 30 Aug 2010.

Suspect Gowan entered school with two loaded guns; angry and irate, he threatened the school principal with a gun. The school resource officer, Carolyn Gudger, drew her gun and engaged Cowan in a standoff, allowing the principal to escape. Cowan demanded her to give him her gun and tell him where the fire alarm was. (Fire alarm, hallways full of kids, a nut with his and her gun? No way! Gudger kept her gun on him.) With him following she backed into an empty pod; within two minutes two police entered the school in response and converged on the pod. (Sheriff's department has drilled on this; rapid response reduces body count.) They ordered Cowan to drop his gun, he pointed his gun at them, when he swung his gun back toward Gudger, they fired and killed him near the entrance to the school library where several students were in hiding.

As routine where I live, the state bureau of investigation did a shooting review and presented results to the grand jury; the shooting was deemed justifiable.

One problem I see is that schools are publicized as being zones free of any legally permitted, legally carried guns.

Just a couple of things to consider...

 

[David White]

We have had local experience with school resource officers, as armed school guards are known. They are usually training for full-time deputy service.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9025899
Rain Smith, "Police officers kill gunman at Sullivan Central", Kingsport Times-News, 30 Aug 2010.

Suspect Gowan entered school with two loaded guns; angry and irate, he threatened the school principal with a gun. The school resource officer, Carolyn Gudger, drew her gun and engaged Cowan in a standoff, allowing the principal to escape. Cowan demanded her to give him her gun and tell him where the fire alarm was. (Fire alarm, hallways full of kids, a nut with his and her gun? No way! Gudger kept her gun on him.) With him following she backed into an empty pod; within two minutes two police entered the school in response and converged on the pod. (Sheriff's department has drilled on this; rapid response reduces body count.) They ordered Cowan to drop his gun, he pointed his gun at them, when he swung his gun back toward Gudger, they fired and killed him near the entrance to the school library where several students were in hiding.

As routine where I live, the state bureau of investigation did a shooting review and presented results to the grand jury; the shooting was deemed justifiable.

One problem I see is that schools are publicized as being zones free of any legally permitted, legally carried guns.

View attachment 176264

Just a couple of things to consider...

View attachment 176265

 

[David White]

Just a couple of things to consider ...

 

[beatledog7]

The expectant pleas of the people to the government to "do something" about everything they don't like and government's constant legislative and regulatory overreach in response to those pleas -- spoken or perceived pleas -- are major contributors to the very ills of society that they seek to cure.

A solution dreamed up too soon after a horrific manifestation of a problem by those too close to the problem will always be knee-jerk, emotion-based, expensive, over-intrusive, and grossly ineffective. So, anything we encourage or allow politicians to do to address mass shootings while we're still weeping over Sandy Hook will very likely prove to be the wrong approach. Once we see it put into action, we'll wonder how we ever thought it was a good idea.

How do you stop mass shootings? Well, simply put, you do it by stopping either the shooting or the massing. You can stop the shooting by taking away guns, so say the antis, but there's that danged Second Amendment. OK, so let's take away public assemblies -- uh oh, First Amendment. It seems freedom from government oppression may very well be accompanied by a corresponding responsibility of people to look after themselves. Who woulda thunk it?

As any warrior can tell us, the best defense against a weapon in the hands of a person who seeks to do harm is a better weapon in the hands of the person he seeks to harm.

 

[Drail]

Having "police" in every school is not practical or possible. There are not enough cops to go around. The cost would be staggering. But I do think that if any of the parents of these children wished to volunteer one day a week to protect the children they should be allowed to do so. And I believe that a large number of them would do so at this point. The bottom line is that the whole idea of making a school (or any other place) a "gun free zone" is madness. To strip the people responsible for the safety of these children of any means of self defense so that their only recourse is to "hide" in a restroom or closet is an insult. If we do not provide onsite protection against the monsters that are allowed to roam out streets they will keep on slaughtering inncents. You cannot "prevent" these types of incidents from happening. You must deal with each one as it happens quickly and decisively. It will require a lot of training. Is it worth it? I have to think so.

 

[SSN Vet]

Our town has Federal funding for a resource officer in the high school.... but the principle is very opposed to having him on campus. Presumably the reason for this (as told to us by several employees of the school) is because the principle doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag wrt. how many kids are smokin' pot and doin' drugs, for fear it would make him look bad.

Unfortunately, there are sometimes hidden motives having more to do with politics and job protection. It is after all, a union shop.

 

[BADUNAME30]

The high school where my boys went did/and does indeed have a full time Policeman in the school.
He had his own office, mini station if you will, and he was a local Police Officer, not a glorified hall gaurd.
It worked very well. In fact, i was able to personaly take advantage of it, have my own son arrested and completely turn his life around for the better.

 

[Trent]

Maybe if the state troopers weren't so busy waiting around on the side of the road to cite someone for a seat belt violation, they'd have more time to patrol our neighborhoods and schools.

Priority of the State, apparently, is income. What's the priority of the people?

 

[Neo-Luddite]

I am going with dedicated LEO's as my suggestion (2 at all times) on school grounds with duties limited to maintaining security of the students and staff. No looking for dope in Sally's locker, no running down truants, not 'liason' or community duties. They run the main entrance and patrol. What would it cost a small district? Maybe 50K per officer per year. Money well spent, expert eyes on the security of the institution, and a dedicated response that will both defend and deter. They have students trust because they aren't sweating the 'small stuff' and aren't hall guards. I support qualified staff being armed and trained as well, but start here at a point most anyone can support. Also a great career start for young prior service looking for a LE career.

 

[Dreamliner787]

At minium why not allow teachers to have a 800 lumens flashlight and some superduty OC spray?

 

[AnthonyRSS]

Having SROs in every school would be a great step to getting young people accustomed to living in a police state. Just sayin'

 

[Captaingyro]

I think we're all kind of missing the point. By creating areas such as schools, courthouses, parks, malls and (sadly) military bases, where firearms are prohibited, we create predictable "kill zones", where attackers are assured that they will be provided with a virtually unlimited supply of victims. They are free to kill as many as they can for the five to fifteen minutes it takes for police to respond.

How about this as a "reasonable" response to these atrocities: anyone who creates one of these gun-free "kill zones", be it a legislature, a mall owner, a bank owner, or a military commander, is responsible for providing on-scene armed protection for the dis-armed sheep that occupy the space?

You don't allow law-abiding citizens to carry in your movie theater? Fine, that's your right as a property owner...but the cost of doing business will be to have an armed guard on duty during business hours, just like you're required to have fire sprinklers and working emergency exits. You don't allow your employees to carry at work? Okeydokey, but you'll have to pay an armed deputy to provide the protection you've denied your workers. You tell your teachers that the Second Amendment ends at the front door of the school? Add armed guards to your school budget.

If the left wants "reasonable" laws to prevent these atrocities, let's be aggressive in reminding them that it is existing gun control legislation, especially the creation of these "gun free zones", that has enabled these maniacs in the first place.

 

[RhinoDefense]

When I went to high school, we had an armed liaison officer during school hours.

 

[cyclopsshooter]

Conservatives sure are keen to spend tax dollars on things that suit their interests...

 

[krupparms]

Oregon state official calls for armed teachers & volunteer parents that have been vetted & trained to man schools here in Oregon! Stated already had calls from teachers who already carry concealed &wanting legislation to make it leagle! Good for them!

 

[justice06rr]

I agree with the OP.

Put those officers doing speed traps into schools instead. The safety of our children is more important than giving out moving violations.

It will not cost any more funding, and will put many parents at ease over the last few mass shootings.

 

[Ignition Override]

bikerdoc and fellow hobbyists:
Is there a website, maybe just a few which clearly describe how Israel keeps their schools, neighborhoods safe?

There must be a huge number of ex-Army Reserve people (even teachers) in different jobs who volunteer to be available for security?

 

[bikerdoc]

Google Israeli school security,
you will find a bunch like this

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2012/12/17/kalberg-why-there-are-no-school-shootings-in-israel-11515

Essentially it is a mindset, utilizing,teacher training, retired police and military.

 

[rduchateau2954]

Every school I've ever been to has had a liaison officer, and their were always armed. :shrug:

 

[DammitBoy]

I see police officers stationed at every bank, every walmart parking lot, every movie theater, and every mall.

I see no problem with a police officer at every school. I think children should rate at least as high as walmart...

 

[Deus Machina]

I have no problem with the theory.

Of course anything can be twisted in practice. But my middle school, high school, and now my college have at least one officer on campus at all times.

The one in middle school would basically just hang around the crowded sections. Same with the ones at college, who work with the security team (which seem to be retired officers anyway), and they make it appear to be just a cushy job on the force.

In high school one had his office near the assistant principals', and it was always the same one or two officers. Deputy Smith would actually walk a circuit when there weren't crowds having lunch or the like, and would occasionally play hall monitor. Worked out great, because he pulled more weight and actually paid more attention than the assistant principals. Guy would have made a great principal if he wanted to be.

He actually cared about the kids. I have no doubts he would be stopping or distracting a shooter as soon as his feet could get him there, backup or no. More than a couple graduated as better people than when they started because of the way he kept with us, me included.

So, like anything of the sort, it depends on the people in the chair (or walking about, in Deputy Smith's case) and the people in charge of it.

Dep sure beat having metal detectors installed.