PoliceLink

This discussion is already going on in another thread.

CAPS

Unarmed School Police that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. What if someone comes in shooting at the students how do you defend them shoot paper wads at him through a straw. That's just nuts!!! Police in Schools are there to protect the students and they can not do their job unarmed.

I think that having a Uniformed Officer with patches and a badge that say's "Police" and putting him/her in  "Marked Police" vehicle without being armed with a firearm is CRAZY. Your putting that person in a situation where they cant use deadly force if the need arises to protect themselves or members of the community. It's the dumbiest thing I have ever heard.

BCHESMORE says ...

I CAME FROM AN UNARMED SCHOOL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND NOW I AM AT AN ARMED SCHOOL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW THERE IS AN ONGOING DEBATE WITH OFFICERS, PARENTS, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHETHER OR NOT SCHOOL POLICE SHOULD BE ARMED OR NOT. WHAT ARE EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS?

What are you in England? That is crazy. I would not work in a uniform and no gun that is rediculous.

The middle schools here have armed officers.

do you at least get OC and Tazers? Thats sad when you have to grab a student to get a gun to use.

Where I was in FL, there were SO Deputies assigned to the schools. There was also a program where an LE presence was present at the school 24/7. There is a residence at EVERY school where a Deputy or State Trooper lives there in Off Duty hours, monitoring the area. The actual school property is locked behind a TALL chain link fence shortly after school activities conclude for the day and remains as such until just prior to the school opening in the morning.

However, that is only in one county as far as I know...

In this day and age of violent conduct running amuck across our contry's school campuses, I find it incredulous that any school district or administrators would remotely consider banning "armed officers" on campus!  What in the hell are these supposedly highly educated people thinking?  How in the hell does an unarmed School Police Officer protect students when someone takes over the campus and begins to summarily execute students, staff, etc.?  If any administrator allows this to occur, they need to be removed from their post immediately.  And if something should tragically happen where the issue has been brought up and denied, I would hope that they, the school administrators & school districts be held absolutely accountable &negligent in the obligations to insure a safe education and atmosphere for all attending their campus.  With all that has already occurred over the last ten years on campuses across this country, the countless numbers of innocent people killed, there is NO EXCUSE for this phenomenon to exist.  For God's sake, students know how to obtain and fire weapons and KILL innocent people.  School Police Officers absolutely should be armed and held to standard like any other law enforcement professional that is issued a firearm so that they may be able to properly & safely fulfill their obligations to "protect and serve."

I've been a Certified SRO since 2004 and it's just like anything else.  If you're going to come to work, wear your uniform, which would includes; duty belt, with handgun, radio, baton, pepper spray, extra keys, handcuffs and last but not least your vest.  If your school district or campus has any problems with the site of a police officer wearing his duty issued side arm, you (or your Chief) might want to go and collect enough newspaper clippings on the topic of violence in our schools and present it to them.  

Safety is key!!!  Remember, you are there for the safety and security of everyone (students & staff) in that building, including yourself!!!  If your school district has any problems with a police officer in uniform and assigned to them, then I would ask them how they would feel fielding the onslaught of problems and law suits related to an officer not carrying his duty weapon because they didn't want him armed!!!

unarmed police????.............you might as well be doing security

BCHESMORE says ...

I CAME FROM AN UNARMED SCHOOL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND NOW I AM AT AN ARMED SCHOOL POLICE DEPARTMENT. I KNOW THERE IS AN ONGOING DEBATE WITH OFFICERS, PARENTS, AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS WHETHER OR NOT SCHOOL POLICE SHOULD BE ARMED OR NOT. WHAT ARE EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS?

The district you worked for unarmed must be out of thier minds.  Being a Cop and policing in Miami-Dade County Schools you  would be one of the few on campus without a firearm.