Posted on 10/21/2009 8:25:00 PM PDT by neverdem
aramos@thesunnews.com
School employees, students and visitors to schools will now need to make sure they leave their concealed weapons at home, even if they have a permit.
The Georgetown County School District voted Tuesday to ban all concealed weapons from all district property, including parking lots.
The move was in response to a plea from the Georgetown Police Department.
A state law enacted in June made an exception to the state's ban on weapons on school property. The law allows those with permits to have a concealed weapon on school grounds if it is in a parked car in a locked compartment or if the individual is inside the vehicle.
"Law enforcement is against this 100 percent," said Capt. Nelson Brown of the Georgetown Police Department. "We go with a zero-tolerance policy with firearms on school property."
People will break into cars and if there are guns there it will mean that firearms are in the hands of non-permitted individuals, Brown told school board members. He also said confrontations could escalate with students if they know they can break into a teacher's car and get a gun.
Concealed weapons permits are issued to adults 21 and who have taken a trained safety course, passed an exam and background check.
The law passed by the General Assembly in June was designed to protect people who have permits and keep guns in their cars when dropping their children off at school, and teachers who keep their guns in their cars for protection during their commute, said Sen. Shane Martin, R-Spartanburg, one of the sponsors of the legislation.
"I'm talking to you from the standpoint as a parent and from a law enforcement standpoint," Brown said. "Weapons on school grounds is a bad idea."
The school began considering the ban before an incident Friday at Carolina Forest High School in Horry County, in which a student armed with knives was shot to death during a fight with the school's resource officer.
School Board Vice Chairman Benny Elliott expressed concern that the way the district's policy is written it would hurt parents and others who drop children off at school and teachers who carry concealed weapons for protection while traveling to school.
"We have teachers that travel all across this county, who will now say 'I can't carry my gun between my house and 40 miles,'" Elliott said. "What if someone is carrying for protection? You can't stop kids from coming to school armed. Look at that kid at Carolina Forest High School. He didn't have a concealed weapons permit and he brought a weapon to school and attacked someone."
Elliott pointed out that criminals will find a way around the system and it was important to protect the rights of those who have the proper permits.
Brown responded with, "The ends justify the extremes."
The police department does not plan to go after parents and others who are driving on school grounds to pick up and drop of their children, Brown said.
After some discussion the board voted to pass the ban, which will affect students, all district employees and visitors. Signs are expected to go up soon around schools.
District employees who violate the ban could lose their jobs. Visitors who do not adhere to the ban could face charges. The consequences for each violation will be determined on a case-by-case basis, said Superintendent Randy Dozier.
Dozier said he has been surprised by the amount of attention the ban has attracted from the media and from gun lobbyists. He said he has had calls from several newspapers and television stations on the issue.
"My job is to provide the safest possible environment,'' he said. "If you have guns on campus...the possibility is there that someone could access them."
As for a local policy counteracting state law, Dozier said there has been legal precedence when an employer is able to ban concealed weapons on their property.
Employees who have concealed weapons permits and weapons can park off school grounds, Dozier pointed out.
The district does use drug-sniffing dogs for random testing about once a month at different sites around the district.
The dogs do pick up the smell of gunpowder and will be able to detect some weapons, Dozier said.
Contact ALIANA RAMOS at 626-0300.
The decision is devoid of logic. Anyone bent on making trouble will waltz right in and commence shooting. This decision only makes it possible they’ll have full rein.
As for guns being stolen from parked cars that shouldn’t be an issue b/c the permit holders should be wearing them!
Bottom line here is guns aren’t the problem. It’s the disintegration of society that is. This ‘decision’ dithers around the edges in an attempt to make it appear as those in ‘power’ are doing something.
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