Arizona's Attorney General has proposed a program to train one person at each school in the state to use a firearm in an effort to minimize the risk of a repetition of the massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.
Tom Horne introduced a proposal Wednesday that would allow a school principal or designated staff member to have access to a secured firearm on school grounds and receive training in the use of firearms and emergency management.
The attorney general said in a press release that at least three Arizona sheriffs have endorsed the proposal and other sheriffs are considering participating in the program.
Horne said the state's budget constraints resulted in the legislature reducing funding for school resource officers assigned to schools throughout the state. The ideal situation, he said, would be to have an armed officer in each school.
"The next best solution is to have one person in the school trained to handle firearms, to handle emergency situations, and possessing a firearm in a secure location. This proposal is analogous to arming pilots on planes,” Horne said in a statement.As I said on a Canadian radio station last night, this is not the best solution, but it is better than no solution.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/27/arizona-attorney-general-wants-to-arm-school-employees/#ixzz2GMJRJZLE
UPDATE: From December 28, 2012 KSAZ:
Sheriff Arpaio says he's ready to provide armed assistance at schools in the valley. The sheriff says he's ready to start this program within a week.
He said he wants to put posse members near schools, not inside them. He's focusing on roughly 50 schools in cities that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over.
Schools in places like Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, and Litchfield Park may soon see some of the Sheriff Arpaio's posse members patrolling nearby.
"No cost to taxpayers, they furnish their own equipment, they do not receive any salary," says Sheriff Arpaio.And for those worried about training:
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/12/28/arizona-sheriff-arpaio-aims-to-arm-posse-at-schools/#ixzz2GNgbwlx9
"The posse has the same training regarding guns as our regular deputy sheriffs, over 100 hours of training, plus refresher courses… We should never have a defeatist attitude. Look to the future and take whatever precautions we can do. I don't just want to talk, I like action."This certainly makes sense, and for those Americans who get freaked out about allowing law-abiding civilians to defend schools, this should be acceptable.
Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/12/28/arizona-sheriff-arpaio-aims-to-arm-posse-at-schools/#ixzz2GNgpW67E
My friend pointed me to this article:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.policeone.com/school-violence/articles/2058168-Active-shooters-in-schools-The-enemy-is-denial/
Not only should we have someone trained in fire arms at schools, but the teachers and staff should be TRAINED on what to do in the event of armed intruders.
What I find particularly poignant is that this article is two and a half years old.