Ohio school approves handguns

[jimnyc]

I had to find this on facebook, linked to an article out of the UK, back to an article out of a local media in Ohio. I'm surprised this isn't national news... or not surprised that it isn't. :rolleyes:


MONTPELIER, Ohio - The Montpelier Exempted Village Schools Board of Education has approved the carrying of handguns by its custodial staff.

The 5-0 vote of the board Wednesday night to allow handgun training for four custodians to be able to tote weapons at the K-12 campus at the Williams County school came after last month's deadly shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

School officials say that having armed personnel - believed to be the first for any school system in Ohio - is designed to thwart incidents of violence and prevent what happened in Newtown, Conn., from occurring here.

"Sitting back and doing nothing and hoping it doesn't happen to you is just not good policy anymore. There is a need for schools to beef up their security measures," Supertendent Jamie Grime told The Blade today. "Having guns in the hands of the right people are not a hindrance. They are a means to protect."

http://www.toledoblade.com/Education/2013/01/10/Montpelier-school-board-approves-carrying-of-handguns-by-custodial-staff.html

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

I had to find this on facebook, linked to an article out of the UK, back to an article out of a local media in Ohio. I'm surprised this isn't national news... or not surprised that it isn't. :rolleyes:



http://www.toledoblade.com/Education/2013/01/10/Montpelier-school-board-approves-carrying-of-handguns-by-custodial-staff.html

A good step if they are very diligent in making sure those people given guns to protect the kids are trained well and free from any mental defects themselves! Would be a must that those assigned that duty be CAPABLE and verified as being able to confront and kill an attacker! Otherwise its just window dressing.. I'm thinking ex-military , preferably with actual combat experience, wisely screened of course.. -Tyr

[Kathianne]

I had to find this on facebook, linked to an article out of the UK, back to an article out of a local media in Ohio. I'm surprised this isn't national news... or not surprised that it isn't. :rolleyes:



http://www.toledoblade.com/Education/2013/01/10/Montpelier-school-board-approves-carrying-of-handguns-by-custodial-staff.html

From what I've seen on school blogs, what my basically 'anti-gun' retired deputy chief of police brother agreed with, seems to be many schools are thinking this way. School shooting perps are different than others. They mostly seem to be suicidal, but want to go out in a 'blaze of glory.' When confronted or even beginning to be confronted, they off themselves. Suicide is their main goal.

My brother gave some commonsense commentary while we spoke over lunch just after New Year's. All of our local high schools and middle schools have full-time police officer for the entire day. They are there to deal with in school issues. They meet with social worker to connect with kids that may be heading for trouble and try to find resources and redirect their issues into positives. They'll take referrals from teachers or deans that feel a student may be a threat to others or themselves. They are busy. They often are at school before others and leave well after school day is done.

Each of those police officers is paid for through 75% of school, 25% of police budget; (3/4 of year at school). But not quite as it seems. The police pay for all equipment for each officer. They also pay for the car for each and maintenance. They pay all 'over school hours, including sporting, arts, and academic events for after school hours at time and a half. In my brother's city that was 11 officers. They pay for all training. In one of my districts that is 9. In the other, 14. Each officer has their own office, they need to for privacy. These districts, much less their police departments cannot double or triple those numbers. None of these officers are on the street for 3/4 of year.

They cannot be doing their job and manning the door. This most likely was 'the officer at Columbine' that so many have brought up.

So the solution? Conceal/carry possible. Not all schools will have volunteers. Those that do would be required to get instruction, including situations involving children. Superintendent and building principal would have to agree to anyone who 'volunteered.' Those that qualify would remain secret to all.

The fact that the schools will allow conceal/carry MIGHT make them a less likely target.

[Robert A Whit]

In some states, schools already armed some of the workers at the schools to protect the children. So far it is working.

[Kathianne]

A good step if they are very diligent in making sure those people given guns to protect the kids are trained well and free from any mental defects themselves! Would be a must that those assigned that duty be CAPABLE and verified as being able to confront and kill an attacker! Otherwise its just window dressing.. I'm thinking ex-military , preferably with actual combat experience, wisely screened of course.. -Tyr

I can only address the schools I know, in the high schools there are more than 5 that are ex-military, ex-cops, ex-lawyers that were cops or military in each. 1/2 of one social studies department is made up of ex-cops/ex-military.

Of the deans, 8 between four schools were military.

Even in middle school have a handful of military and ex-cops, some still in reserves.

[Robert A Whit]

http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html (http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html)
<o:p></o:p>
School guards armed and ready (http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html)<o:p></o:p>
Finding passive security systems inadequate, one school district puts retired state troopers in each school.<o:p></o:p>
By ELI SASLOW The Washington Post<o:p></o:p>
BUTLER, Pa. - Four hundred miles from Sandy Hook Elementary, a Pennsylvania superintendent named Mike Strutt left a morning meeting on Dec. 14 and decided to place his schools on "threat alert." He was concerned about a copycat attack on the day of the Connecticut shooting. But, as he read reports of the massacre, he started to worry more about something else.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Retired Pennsylvania state trooper Les Strawbridge chats with Butler Intermediate High School teachers. The school system hired enough retired troopers to put one in each school. <o:p></o:p>
For 20 years he had specialized in school safety, filling three binders with security plans and lockdown drills - all of which felt suddenly inadequate. In the case of an attack, would a "threat alert" do him any good?<o:p></o:p>
He looked out his office window at the snow-covered trees of western Pennsylvania and imagined a gunman approaching one of Butler County's 14 schools, allowing the attack to unfold in his mind. In came the gunman past the unarmed guards Strutt had hired after Columbine; past the metal detectors he had installed after Virginia Tech; past the intercom and surveillance system he had updated after Aurora.<o:p></o:p>
Strutt stood from his desk and called the president of the Butler County School Board, Don Pringle.<o:p></o:p>
"This could happen here," Strutt said. "Armed guards are the one thing that gives us a fighting chance. Don't we want that one thing?" (more on link)

[Kathianne]

the link about the troopers is ace on. Problem comes with costs. Likely as I posted above, the schools are already paying quite a lot for their police officer. Now they pick up costs for very effective deterrent.

Most schools and communities cannot afford that, not to mention that the nutter might just take out that person.

Arming qualified staff, at no cost, save if necessary training? Not announcing who or even IF they have armed staff? Just the possibility that someone at any school might be armed and trained to use, MIGHT give a perp, pause.

[hjmick]

Guns already allowed in schools with little restriction in many states:

http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/14/16468754-guns-already-allowed-in-schools-with-little-restriction-in-many-states?lite

[Kathianne]

Guns already allowed in schools with little restriction in many states:

http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/14/16468754-guns-already-allowed-in-schools-with-little-restriction-in-many-states?lite

Some states appear to give this power to schools already, my guess is that it wasn't publicized. In any case, only those that want to go through training, get the gun, then permission of principal would be able to carry.

If one doesn't want to, (that would be me), just keep mouth shut. Let the district make an 'announcement' that they are allowing conceal/carry for approved staff, effective **/**/****. No names.

Not only gives protection for those that have approved staff, gives spillover effect for schools with none. The perps haven't a clue to which schools or staff are 'armed.'

[glockmail]

...
So the solution? Conceal/carry possible. Not all schools will have volunteers. Those that do would be required to get instruction, including situations involving children. Superintendent and building principal would have to agree to anyone who 'volunteered.' Those that qualify would remain secret to all.

...

This is exactly what I have been calling for. Even if a school has no volunteers perps won't know that and will therefore be far, far less likely to do anything.

[Marcus Aurelius]

http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html (http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html)
<o:p></o>
School guards armed and ready (http://www.pressherald.com/news/nationworld/school-guards-armed-and-ready_2013-01-11.html)<o:p></o>
Finding passive security systems inadequate, one school district puts retired state troopers in each school.<o:p></o>
By ELI SASLOW The Washington Post<o:p></o>
BUTLER, Pa. - Four hundred miles from Sandy Hook Elementary, a Pennsylvania superintendent named Mike Strutt left a morning meeting on Dec. 14 and decided to place his schools on "threat alert." He was concerned about a copycat attack on the day of the Connecticut shooting. But, as he read reports of the massacre, he started to worry more about something else.<o:p></o>
<o:p></o>
<o:p></o>
Retired Pennsylvania state trooper Les Strawbridge chats with Butler Intermediate High School teachers. The school system hired enough retired troopers to put one in each school. <o:p></o>
For 20 years he had specialized in school safety, filling three binders with security plans and lockdown drills - all of which felt suddenly inadequate. In the case of an attack, would a "threat alert" do him any good?<o:p></o>
He looked out his office window at the snow-covered trees of western Pennsylvania and imagined a gunman approaching one of Butler County's 14 schools, allowing the attack to unfold in his mind. In came the gunman past the unarmed guards Strutt had hired after Columbine; past the metal detectors he had installed after Virginia Tech; past the intercom and surveillance system he had updated after Aurora.<o:p></o>
Strutt stood from his desk and called the president of the Butler County School Board, Don Pringle.<o:p></o>
"This could happen here," Strutt said. "Armed guards are the one thing that gives us a fighting chance. Don't we want that one thing?" (more on link)

If these procedures are followed, I'd have zero issues with this at my sons school.