By Susan Duclos
There has been a lot of political posturing going on publicly since the tragic massacre of 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut.Liberals want gun control, conservatives want armed guards and/or teachers trained in handling weapons to protect our nation's children when they are at school.
In an email response to a post titled "Intellectual Dishonesty- Columbine Had Armed Guard.... Guarding 'Smoking Pit,' Not Inside School," a husband and wife, parents and also Detectives for the Criminal Investigations Division at their local police department, have their own ideas on what would help protect children while they are at school.
With full permission from the author to reprint the email, it is below:
Hello, I am Ryan McGee and my wife is Sandy McGee. We are both Detectives with the Kernersville Police Department in Kernersville, North Carolina. Our community is virtually the same as Newtown, Connecticut concerning population and number of schools. Our schools have one School Resource Officer in the High Schools and some Middle Schools, we have no officers in the Elementary Schools. We read your response to Weigel’s comments. You are absolutely correct. My wife and I have been telling people for years that a School Security Force is needed in our schools, not just one officer. I do not blame the officers either, I would just like to see “America Wake Up”. If you put the school shooting incidents in real time, from the first shot fired, to the phone call to police, to the police response, the end result is a lot of educators and children die. I am not ignorant to the mental health side of this issue, but that is only one part of the problem. The main problem is The Active Shooter and the measures that can be taken to stop them. If a School Security Force is denied, then America should at least have Principals, Vice Principals, and five (5) to ten (10) trained teachers (depending on the size of the school) with bullet proof vest and firearms locked in a secure location in their offices and classrooms. The bullet proof vest should be identifiable with the words “School Staff” in bright colors. Local Law Enforcement could assist in the appointment of these teachers with a review board for suitability for these positions. Law Enforcement could also provide training in Rapid Deployment to the Active Shooter for school personnel.
On January 2nd, 2013 I am meeting with North Carolina Legislator Peter Brunstetter on an issue of having a law changed in North Carolina. In October 2012, the Kernersville Police Department’s officers responded to the Wal-Mart Department Store concerning an Active Shooter. Luckily there were no injuries only property damage. The shooter shot in the direction of customers, missing one customer’s head who was standing on the other side of a sign. The shot missed the customer by one and half (1 ½) feet. In short, North Carolina Law states that if the Active Shooter had been outside of the building and fired into the building the crime would have been a felony. Because the shooter crossed the threshold of the building he could only be charged with Discharging a Firearm in the City Limits, Malicious Injury to Personal Property, and Carrying a Concealed Firearm. These are all Misdemeanors. Some evidence was found that makes me of the opinion that his original intention was “suicide by cop” and self-restraint got the better of him. This law needs to be changed. While in my meeting with Legislator Brunstetter, I am going to discuss the issue of a School Security Force and the issue of arming some school personnel in each school. My wife and I am so glad that there are people like you. Thank you for your comments and if there is anyone you know of that we could contact for support on the security of our schools please let us know.
Also the lockdown drills of our schools needs to be re-examined, I will talk about that issue another time. Keep fighting the good fight.
There are actions we as a country can take to protect our nation's children while they are in school to learn, from individuals that are determined to mass murder them.
Gun control? That would not have saved one of the children killed in the most deadly school massacre in US History, in Bathe, Michigan 1927, where no death was by bullet, instead explosives were used.
The NRA has been demonized by liberals after the Sandy Hook massacre, but they have offered to fund an initiative, spending millions, perhaps billions, to help create a safer environment in schools across America:
The NRA is going to bring all of its knowledge, dedication and resources to develop a model National School Shield Emergency Response Program for every school that wants it. From armed security to building design and access control to information technology to student and teacher training, this multi-faceted program will be developed by the very best experts in their fields.
Former Congressman Asa Hutchinson will lead this effort as National Director of the National School Shield Program, with a budget provided by the NRA of whatever scope the task requires. His experience as a U.S. Attorney, Director of the Drug Enforcement Agency and Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security will give him the knowledge and expertise to hire the most knowledgeable and credentialed experts available anywhere, to get this program up and running from the first day forward.
They are willing to put their money where their mouths are.... take them up on it.
