[Clinging Bitterly]

I would agree, full time cops in every school is not a good idea. Where I went to school, cops were not allowed to enter without a specific purpose (i.e. a warrant) and that is the way it should be, school is a sort of personal space.

A protective agent with the rights and duties of any ordinary citizen is all that would be needed, and worth talking about.

[tanknetter]

A protective agent with the rights and duties of any ordinary citizen is all that would be needed, and worth talking about.

It's really all about deterrence, right? There have been lots of stories about how criminals, including spree killers, actively avoid situations where they might be confronted with someone with a gun. The one that pops immediately to mind is how 11% of US burglaries take place when the victim is home, while almost 50% do - the reason being that burglars fear armed homeowners a LOT more than they fear cops.

I think a combination of visible presence, be it cops or private armed security, and explicit/publicized permission for teachers with valid CCW permits to carry on school property would do it.

I think it also makes a lot of sense to bring firearms training and gun clubs back into the schools. The big issue here isn't "guns", but the way guns have been demonized and mystified within society. Kids should be exposed to firearms early in their lives, giving them an understanding of what they can do and instilling a healthy respect for them while demystifying them at the same time.