Colorado school district to arm school guards with assault rifles

[Independent voter]

First they legalize marijuana and now this.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29...security-staff



The Douglas County School District plans to arm its security staff with 10 semiautomatic rifles designed to provide a high-powered defense in the event of a shooting or other violent incident.

Richard Payne, director of security, said he made the decision to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster "long guns" in January after noting his security officers, equipped only with handguns, were training "hand to hand" with the sheriff's office, which used the larger weapons.

"We want to make sure they have the same tools as law enforcement," Payne said Monday of his eight armed officers.

The first few rifles should be ready for use within a month's time once officers have gone through a 20-hour training course, the same one that commissioned police officers take. The rest of the guns will be deployed in August, he said.

Payne said all his security workers are former law enforcement officers who would keep the long guns locked in patrol cars.

"They will not be in the schools," he said of the weapons.

Ken Trump, a national school security consultant in Cleveland, said he hadn't heard of school security workers equipped with such high-powered weaponry.

Calls to the other large school districts in the Denver area indicate that Douglas County's move is unique. Security workers in Denver, Aurora and Jefferson County school districts carry handguns, and security staffers in Cherry Creek are unarmed. The districts have school resource officers who are active members of law enforcement and carry police-issued weapons.

Trump said staff training should meet the same standard as law enforcement before having access to semiautomatic rifles. "Does the training rise to that of a fully certified police officer?" he asked. "It's not something to do lightly. It better be well-thought-out."

Dan Montgomery, a police and safety consultant and former police chief of Westminster, said the decision is "unusual."

He also listed proper training and secure storage as major concerns when talking about military-style rifles.

"One accident in close quarters with these things could be devastating, not only to predators but to the students themselves," Montgomery said. "I would make sure the decision is supported politically and socially."

Payne said the decision to buy the rifles was his and the Douglas County school board had not discussed it or voted on it.

The Douglas County School District has 67,000 students.

[TZucchini]

I have no problem with highly trained, armed school security officers. Providing them with Bushmasters does seems a bit excessive. I suppose having one locked in a vehicle that they could access to in an emergency isn't the end of the world.

[Schattenlied]

They aren't assault rifles, please fix your title.

[TZucchini]

They aren't assault rifles, please fix your title.

Yes. Please fix the title. Because I'm sure we'll have dozens of pedants crying about this term.

And don't change it to "assault weapon", because then they'll cry about how it's a made-up term.

[Reeve]

Seems stupid to me, but I guess that's the business of that particular school district.

I guess I feel like the normalization of a militarized police state for children sounds like a good idea to some.

[Ahovv]

Yes. Please fix the title. Because I'm sure we'll have dozens of pedants crying about this term.

And don't change it to "assault weapon", because then they'll cry about how it's a made-up term.

Because it quite literally is. Those in congress don't understand nuance when it comes to weaponry. They ban whatever looks scary to them, and anti-gun activists cheer because they don't care about principled legislation. They just see guns being banned in some form and think it's great.

[ChexMix]

I can stab someone with a pen and its now an 'Assault Pen'. I can add camo to it and it will be a mil-spec Assault Pen which needs a federal stamp.

[Reeve]

I can stab someone with a pen and its now an 'Assault Pen'. I can add camo to it and it will be a mil-spec Assault Pen which needs a federal stamp.

I know you're being facetious, but these actually exist:

[Deleted]

First they legalize marijuana and now this.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29...security-staff



The Douglas County School District plans to arm its security staff with 10 semiautomatic rifles designed to provide a high-powered defense in the event of a shooting or other violent incident.

Richard Payne, director of security, said he made the decision to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster "long guns" in January after noting his security officers, equipped only with handguns, were training "hand to hand" with the sheriff's office, which used the larger weapons.

"We want to make sure they have the same tools as law enforcement," Payne said Monday of his eight armed officers.

The first few rifles should be ready for use within a month's time once officers have gone through a 20-hour training course, the same one that commissioned police officers take. The rest of the guns will be deployed in August, he said.

Payne said all his security workers are former law enforcement officers who would keep the long guns locked in patrol cars.

"They will not be in the schools," he said of the weapons.

Ken Trump, a national school security consultant in Cleveland, said he hadn't heard of school security workers equipped with such high-powered weaponry.

Calls to the other large school districts in the Denver area indicate that Douglas County's move is unique. Security workers in Denver, Aurora and Jefferson County school districts carry handguns, and security staffers in Cherry Creek are unarmed. The districts have school resource officers who are active members of law enforcement and carry police-issued weapons.

Trump said staff training should meet the same standard as law enforcement before having access to semiautomatic rifles. "Does the training rise to that of a fully certified police officer?" he asked. "It's not something to do lightly. It better be well-thought-out."

Dan Montgomery, a police and safety consultant and former police chief of Westminster, said the decision is "unusual."

He also listed proper training and secure storage as major concerns when talking about military-style rifles.

"One accident in close quarters with these things could be devastating, not only to predators but to the students themselves," Montgomery said. "I would make sure the decision is supported politically and socially."

Payne said the decision to buy the rifles was his and the Douglas County school board had not discussed it or voted on it.

The Douglas County School District has 67,000 students.

Thats the bit that scares the shit out of me.

[Phookah]

Hey! Lets start getting kids used to being around militarized people with rifles in their everyday lives, seems like a good thing

[Kalis]

Do a lot of schools in the US have security staff, or is it just ones in dodgy areas?

[Deleted]

First they legalize marijuana and now this.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29...security-staff



The Douglas County School District plans to arm its security staff with 10 semiautomatic rifles designed to provide a high-powered defense in the event of a shooting or other violent incident.

Richard Payne, director of security, said he made the decision to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster "long guns" in January after noting his security officers, equipped only with handguns, were training "hand to hand" with the sheriff's office, which used the larger weapons.

"We want to make sure they have the same tools as law enforcement," Payne said Monday of his eight armed officers.

The first few rifles should be ready for use within a month's time once officers have gone through a 20-hour training course, the same one that commissioned police officers take. The rest of the guns will be deployed in August, he said.

Payne said all his security workers are former law enforcement officers who would keep the long guns locked in patrol cars.

"They will not be in the schools," he said of the weapons.

Ken Trump, a national school security consultant in Cleveland, said he hadn't heard of school security workers equipped with such high-powered weaponry.

Calls to the other large school districts in the Denver area indicate that Douglas County's move is unique. Security workers in Denver, Aurora and Jefferson County school districts carry handguns, and security staffers in Cherry Creek are unarmed. The districts have school resource officers who are active members of law enforcement and carry police-issued weapons.

Trump said staff training should meet the same standard as law enforcement before having access to semiautomatic rifles. "Does the training rise to that of a fully certified police officer?" he asked. "It's not something to do lightly. It better be well-thought-out."

Dan Montgomery, a police and safety consultant and former police chief of Westminster, said the decision is "unusual."

He also listed proper training and secure storage as major concerns when talking about military-style rifles.

"One accident in close quarters with these things could be devastating, not only to predators but to the students themselves," Montgomery said. "I would make sure the decision is supported politically and socially."

Payne said the decision to buy the rifles was his and the Douglas County school board had not discussed it or voted on it.

The Douglas County School District has 67,000 students.

What could go wrong? =D

An arms race is usually not a good thing. If you step up your game, a potential killer will step up too. Infact, armed guards might provoke a situation rather than deterr one.

[zenkai]

Seems stupid to me, but I guess that's the business of that particular school district.

I guess I feel like the normalization of a militarized police state for children sounds like a good idea to some.

Seeing how one school shooting was stopped by an armed security guard, I see no problem with it

[Schattenlied]

Yes. Please fix the title. Because I'm sure we'll have dozens of pedants crying about this term.

And don't change it to "assault weapon", because then they'll cry about how it's a made-up term.

The point of people not liking "assault weapon" is not that it's a made up term, it's that it misrepresents what it is meant to define... "Assault weapons" are functionally no different from any other semi auto rifle, so why do they need a different name? All "assault weapon" defines are cosmetic characteristics, nothing that changes the function of the firearm... if these were wooden stock Mini-14s most people wouldn't have noticed, it probly wouldn't have even made the news, despite the Mini-14 having the same magazine capacity and firing the same ammunition at the same rate, because they don't look like military rifles.

[Deleted]

First they legalize marijuana and now this.

Not sure if serious ;]

Legalizing mj is a great evidence-based decision, arming school guards is... eh, whatever, not my problem.

[Kaleredar]

Seems stupid to me, but I guess that's the business of that particular school district.

I guess I feel like the normalization of a militarized police state for children sounds like a good idea to some.

Teaching people to live in fear is the larger problem, here.

This is an entirely reactive "solution," rather than a proactive one. If people just kind of "take it for granted" that people can acquire a gun and shoot up a school easy-as-they-please, then you've already lost.

[Reeve]

Seeing how one school shooting was stopped by an armed security guard, I see no problem with it

I think I'd rather deal with the occasional madman than have to live in a militarized police state.

I have no issue with police. I have no issue with police in schools. But I like living in a country where I don't have to have a guy with a rifle standing on every street corner. I've spent plenty of time in third world countries where this is the reality, and I don't really want that to be my country.

- - - Updated - - -

Teaching people to live in fear is the larger problem, here.

This is an entirely reactive "solution," rather than a proactive one. If people just kind of "take it for granted" that people can acquire a gun and shoot up a school easy-as-they-please, then you've already lost.

Yeah pretty much this. I don't like that this essentially validates the idea that people ought to be living in fear.

[Independent voter]

Do a lot of schools in the US have security staff, or is it just ones in dodgy areas?

My school didn't have security but more and more schools are implementing it. I think its because of lawsuits mostly, teachers break up a fight between two boys, someone gets hurt and sued, etc.

A girl I used to date was from a bad area and her school had airport like metal detectors the students had to pass through to enter the school. She would say that the school wasn't that violent, I would replay yeah, they left their guns and knives at home.

[Reeve]

The point of people not liking "assault weapon" is not that it's a made up term, it's that it misrepresents what it is meant to define... "Assault weapons" are functionally no different from any other semi auto rifle, so why do they need a different name? All "assault weapon" defines are cosmetic characteristics, nothing that changes the function of the firearm... if these were wooden stock Mini-14s most people wouldn't have noticed, it probly wouldn't have even made the news, despite the Mini-14 having the same magazine capacity and firing the same ammunition at the same rate, because they don't look like military rifles.

I don't particularly want the police in schools walking around with hunting rifles either.

[p291u]

Hey! Lets start getting kids used to being around militarized people with rifles in their everyday lives, seems like a good thing

Hmmm. Did they say the security officers are going to be carrying them around the halls or did they say that the ex-police security officers are going to keep them secured in vehicles in case of emergencies? hmmmm.... This is going to be hard to figure out, if only we had a pair of eyes and an ability to read....