Posted on 12/27/2012 7:44:15 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) In the push for increased school safety in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, some parents on Staten Island are pushing for guns in school.
Its all part of a proposal that calls for the weapons to be held by retired city cops, but as CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey reported Thursday, not everyone is convinced its the way to go.
Some New York City students may soon be getting a lesson in school safety few ever would have imagined.
Sam Pirozzolo is the president of Staten Island Community Education Council 31, the school board-like entity that wants to protect students with guns.
Its another layer of defense, Pirozzolo said. Were looking to let the bad guys know, if you choose a school on Staten Island in New York City, you may have resistance. Were not a soft target.
The proposal calls for retired police officers, armed with a hidden handgun, to rove from school to school.
These are officers that are trained. Theyve carried firearms for 20-25 years, said Mike Reilly, a retired NYPD lieutenant and board member on CEC 4.
Reilly said the idea quickly came into form after a gunman walked into the Newtown, Conn., school earlier this month and killed 26 students and teachers. And he said the hidden handgun is a plus.
By having an NYPD retiree with a concealed firearm dressed as possible staff or administration, youre now not putting the kids in fear or putting the staff in fear. Theres no you dont feel like youre in a police state, Reilly said.
While some parents are against the idea, others said when you consider the Connecticut tragedy, the risk is worth it.
Guns and people near my children arent a good combination, one New York City parent and teacher said.
What If the target was missed? What if there was a child in harms way? added parent Deena Coffee.
If there was any possible way to avoid something like that happening, that would have been it, parent Matthew Dennis said, referring to the concealed weapon proposal.
I think its a good idea because the kids will feel protected, Elizabeth Velez added.
But the citys Department of Education is not considering the idea, saying the schools are the safest theyve been in a decade. Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcotts office released a statement that read in part: We know what works. Putting an armed guard in every school building is not the answer.
But Staten Islands board president is asking if students are really safe.
Are they safe from a terrorist attack? Are they safe from a madman with a gun? Pirozzolo said.
As weve already seen, the answer is no.
The Staten Island board votes on Jan. 7. Any proposal that is passed would have to be approved by the city DOE, but given the departments statements on the topic, approval seems unlikely.
“The Staten Island board votes on Jan. 7. Any proposal that is passed would have to be approved by the city DOE, but given the departments statements on the topic, approval seems unlikely.”
Staten Island?
The borough of New York City?
In New York State?
Nevuh happ’n....
Nice try, however.
Deena is an idiot. The question she should be asking is: "What if there is no one there to stop an attacker? How long will it take him to put a bullet in my child?"
Well Mrs. Coffee (if that is your real name) there is no safe place on this planet. You and your kids better leave.
You can what if any plan to death. You are never going to come up with a perfect plan and you are never going to be perfectly safe no matter where you go or what you do.
Life is inherently unsafe.
How about holding gun classes in the schools as well? The fewer soft targets, the better.
Then the attacker will continue shooting kids until someone stops him.
When we moved to Oklahoma City in 1988 we started house hunting. Our eldest child was just starting kindergarten so quality of schools was a big factor in where we would buy. We eventually bought a house in a very good school district. One of the reasons we liked was because it had its own, uniformed, armed, police force. But then, this is Oklahoma.
Then the shooter proceeds unimpeded to go on and kill your kid, idiot.
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