Posted on 12/22/2012 9:27:19 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
MARLBORO, NJ(CBSNewYork) — The National Rifle Association caused a firestorm with its proposal to put armed guards in every school, but one district in New Jersey is already heeding that call.
“I believe that having an armed police officer, law enforcement official present in our schools will give our students comfort, our town, our community comfort, and will have anybody think twice about coming into Marlboro schools,” Mayor Jon Hornik told CBS 2′s Drew Levinson.
Mayor Hornik said that he made his decision to place armed police officers in all of the district’s schools when they re-open in the New Year, before the suggestion was made by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.
The Marlboro school district already has armed police officers in some of its schools, but the high school is the only that has a full-time officer with a gun. In January all nine of the district’s schools will feature armed officers roaming the halls.
Parents in Marlboro appeared to be split on the measure.
“I think it’s a great idea with the way the world is right now, anything to keep our children safe. I think it is a wonderful idea. I think he is doing the right thing,” said Theresa Morreale.
Others disagreed.
“I really don’t think it’s necessary to have guns in school, people living in fear. That’s not how we are supposed to live here in America, we are supposed to get up every day, live our lives and do what we have to do,” said James Dottrina.
Mayor Hornik, a gun control advocate who is normally at odds with the NRA, said that the measure was necessary while the gun control debate rages.
“My first choise would be to never have a gun in our schools, but while the President and the NRA and the Congress debate policy and law, the fact is there are guns out there. How many times do we have to see these kinds of mass shootings before we decide to protect our kids,” the Mayor explained.
Mayor Hornik told CBS 2 that the police department and the board of education have endorsed his plan, funds will come out of the board of education’s budget.
Governor Chris Christie has already said that he does not endorse the idea of armed officers in schools.
In New York, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn called the NRA’s plan stupid and asinine, and State Senator Malcolm Smith called for NRA leadership to resign.
More public employees. More cops. Less freedom.
“That’s not how we are supposed to live here in America, we are supposed to get up every day, live our lives and do what we have to do,”
Seems to be working just fine for Israel, and guns are carried openly everywhere!
To avoid ZOTting, I’ll skip Mr Hunt and mention Seymour Butz instead.
[we are wading into treacherous waters, you know]
;]
We have police officers assigned to every high school-they’re called Resource Officers. The officers get to know the kids and contrary to what one might expect, more incidents are handled by the school and parents rather than ending up with referrals to juvenile court. My son got into the Marines despite some dust-ups in high school thanks to his and our relationship with our Resource Officer.
I really could not agree more with your post.
No doubt teachers should be allowed to carry, but making them the first and last line of defense seems incredibly poorly thought out.
Assuming that a shooter arrives in a school and does not shoot anyone along the way to a classroom and does not display his weapons until he arrives in a classrom, the very best of luck would have the teacher shooting this assailant in front of the kids, and the very worst of luck would be...horrific.
I think that eliminating such a threat before he reaches the entrance of the school is ideal, beyond that in the hallways.
Personally I think classroom doors and school entrances should be fortified and secured as well.
I understand people saying arming teachers is the solution, but it’s not, it’s only part of the solution. I understand cost concerns as well, but some things are worth paying for. Perhaps we should look at those things that aren’t worth paying for and move those monies into security measures.
The measure of a single off duty deputy was not sufficient.
We learn from that and improve defenses.
Agree.
It’s clear that no one had anticipated or planned for a massacre like Columbine.
Next time, after Sandy Hill, we make it harder and more dangerous for the bad guys.
As a New York City High School teacher I can tell you we have had armed NYC policemen in the schools for many years.Please don’t tell Bloomberg.
Don't get me wrong; I think this is a great idea but I am mindful of the fact that armed guards don't stop bank robbers but then again bank robbers are professional criminals who would have no interest in children. It is the nut jobs that attack schools and an armed guard would more than likely give them pause so I believe the plan would work or at least mitigate the severity of the incident.
I think you are overreaching on this one but your thought to be ware of unintended consequences is valid.
Also, there will come a day when the decision over cops in schools is decided in favor of cops being there. If another school has such an incident and there was not police officer, parents are naturally going to remember this debate and ask why a police officer was not there to stop it.
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