School security

[Okie21]

I've heard a lot of talk about putting armed veterans in our schools to protect our kids. Or even off duty LEO's. But has any school actually started doing this? Is there any kind of volunteer security going on in schools? I did a Google search on volunteer security in schools and I found nothing. I would be happy to help in some way to keep the local kids safe in school.

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[WuzzFuzz]

Okie 21, without repeating myself here on the lounge page, please read my post in the Concealed Carry & Self Defense as I address your post.


WuzzFuzz

 

[Old cop]

We have both school resource officers (SRO) and private security, but they are not armed. The private security is run by a retired police captain but he cannot be armed either and this is the same school board that wanted an SRO program back in the early '90s but did not want cops to carry a gun. My agency said no gun no SRO so they had to back off. You just cannot make this stuff up.

 

[LVSteve]

Too soon. The liability issues involved would put months on starting this process even if the political will was there.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Harris county assigns deputies to the schools. Not a 100% coverage on breaks or nearby calls, but we are working on it. It does not hurt to have a Sheriff's patrol car parked near the entrance all or most of the day.

 

[findlayref19]

Our local high school/ school board employs a number of retired and off duty LEO. They are armed and visibly so. These security officers have also been known to show up (unannounced) at the middle and elementary schools. Those security officers that don't have the LEO certifications do not carry (at least openly).

 

[Onomea]

I am thinking that rather than focussing on teacher concealed handgun carry, how about provide each classroom/teacher who is willing with a semiauto rifle? Keep it locked up, but readily available in the classroom.

(In addition, those teachers who want to conceal carry could do so.)

My thinking is handguns are a lot harder to shoot well than rifles, and, given a choice, the rifle would be the better self-defense weapon if a killer were on the loose at the school. I also think anti gun types generally find rifles less scary than handguns, so it could be an easier sell.

Maybe set up high school rifle teams, like in the old days, and encourage marksmanship competitions. Train them to defend the school as well....

 

[DWalt]

There are some Texas school districts which allow teachers to be armed. But not a large number of them. There is no state law to prohibit arming of teachers, but the will is probably not there for many of the larger more urban school districts. Then there is always the plaintive cry that "Teachers are there to teach, not carry guns."

 

[URIT]

The local school boards along with federal and state educators are responsible for the tragedy rich environment our schools have become today. They, above all, have created a culture that breeds the lunatics that commit these senseless shootings.

 

[vonn]

I live in a large suburban school district(130,000 students and staff) and the district has a police force that reports directly to the superintendent. I am not privy to the details but good sources say they are upgrading protection at the schools above what they had prior to the latest incident.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

I have made this recommendation before and will restate it now:

Tens of thousands of retired cops, many of whom are scraping by on minimal pensions and struggling to pay their health insurance premiums, would probably be happy to volunteer to serve as school protection officers (most of us have grandkids or great-grandkids in the public schools anyway), pull a half-day shift or two every week at no cost to the public. If the government saw fit to subsidize our health insurance premiums in exchange for the time donated we would be extremely grateful, I'm sure.

But, give the politicos and bureaucrats control of a program like this an before you can say "duck and cover" there would be professional credentialing, mandatory training requirements, goofy uniforms no self-respecting cop would wear in public, and a huge cadre of highly-paid experts to oversee the program.

Is the idea perfect? Of course not. Is it better to have experienced retired cops (even if their training might be a bit dated) in our schools than to surrender control to psychotic child killers? Of course it is.

A huge pool of experienced and motivated retirees is available to step into this niche and upgrade school security considerably, overnight and at little or no expense to the taxpaying public.

 

[Jinglebob]

Put a police substation on the school grounds. That is what Keller Texas, a city on the outskirts of Dallas Fort Worth, is doing. Makes a lot of sense.

Texas school plans to open police substation | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

[TX-Dennis]

My son goes to a very small charter school located on a University campus. The school has one full time armed officer and the University has a couple dozen armed police officers and security officers. I've always thought it was weird that they have both sworn campus LEOs and a separate security team, but I guess more is better.

 

[Lostaro]

I agree that trained-armed security is the only real fix for this issue...at least until we fix the whole of society and evil quits the game....(don't hold your breath)

Allowing school staff to carry would be a good start....but....I just don't see our local boards embracing that change. Even in our rural county.

Our Sheriff's Dept. supports it and they've done a great job trying to maintain a presence at all of our schools. But like all rural communities their numbers are few and the dollars are fewer.

Hopefully I'm wrong and the folks making the rules will surprise me.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I saw something on Fox about a county in Ohio, I think-not sure, that had already implemented an armed employees security force that looked very well thought out. I was encouraged.

 

[Toyman]

Clark County Nevada school district has over 300,000 students and their own police force of around 140 officers. Some schools have full time officers while others are serviced by roving patrols.

 

[bountyhunter]

I've heard a lot of talk about putting armed veterans in our schools to protect our kids. Or even off duty LEO's. But has any school actually started doing this?

Yes, but I think it's private schools so far. There probably are some public schools as well. Not just "veterans" but anybody could do it if they hsve the skills.

 

[Okie21]

Thanks for the replies. I was just curious about the idea since I've heard it mentioned a lot. I can understand the red tape involved would complicate the process IF a school wanted to try.

And BTW, even here among us, there is a huge difference of opinion on the matter of school security and why we need it. As well as where the threat stems from. So many different opinions and ideas on the subject.

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[chaparrito]

An underpaid 7th grade teacher; carrying, whose wife is having a flirtation with the neighbor, whose college student son's tuition payment is late, whose most recent blood pressure test was elevated has a succession of bad days in the classroom caused by miscreant students whos parents immediately blame the school system when their little darlings act out.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well armed, well trained security whose ONLY job is the protection of students and staff is the solution. Retirees? Sure, who cares, it just needs to be funded. Period.

 

[SC_Mike]

Tomorrow is Monday, most schools will be open. What has been done in the past week to "harden" them? As far as I know, nothing.

IMHO teachers with guns is a weak solution, it's a deterrent and its a start but do you want someone with minimal training to discharge a weapon in a classroom or hallway with students running and screaming? I believe a highly trained minimum of two depending upon the size of the school, of officers/soldiers/agents would be the best and really only solution. Meet evil force with greater good force to defeat it.

This has to be taken seriously.

Just my opinion.