Should we keep armed guards at schools?

[Anonymous]

To thwart shooters?

[Anonymous]

There’s always a sheriff’s deputy at my dd’s Middle school. I think that’s common.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Along with metal detectors. And one single point of entry. So you can't get in with a weapon bc the detector goes off, then you of course just try to shoot your way in, and there are 2-3 armed guards right there who in turn attempt to shoot you first. If it can work in federal courthouses, it can work in schools.

(YES gun control is the preferred option and these war time weapons shouldn't be sold etc etc. but since it may take us 20 yrs to get gun control in this country, let's stem the bleeding in the meantime.)

At my local school, there is a cop on duty. But problem is it's a huge school like Parkland - with these weapons of war, they can gun down so many people in 2-3 min that by the time the cop is radioed and makes it to the part of the building, the damage is done. If you have armed guards at the door, any shootout occurs at the doors. And frankly classrooms should be no where near entrances -- though at my school they aren't -- it's all kinds of lobby/general spaces and it takes a while to get down a hall leading to classrooms.

[Anonymous]

There was an armed guard in FL. 17 dead in 5 minutes despite the guard. Shooter didn't stop because of the guard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Along with metal detectors. And one single point of entry. So you can't get in with a weapon bc the detector goes off, then you of course just try to shoot your way in, and there are 2-3 armed guards right there who in turn attempt to shoot you first. If it can work in federal courthouses, it can work in schools.

(YES gun control is the preferred option and these war time weapons shouldn't be sold etc etc. but since it may take us 20 yrs to get gun control in this country, let's stem the bleeding in the meantime.)

At my local school, there is a cop on duty. But problem is it's a huge school like Parkland - with these weapons of war, they can gun down so many people in 2-3 min that by the time the cop is radioed and makes it to the part of the building, the damage is done. If you have armed guards at the door, any shootout occurs at the doors. And frankly classrooms should be no where near entrances -- though at my school they aren't -- it's all kinds of lobby/general spaces and it takes a while to get down a hall leading to classrooms.

+1

[Anonymous]

I agree with the metal detectors and more security. Enough is enough and we need to do better to keep our kids safe. It sucks it has to turn into more of a prison but better safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To thwart shooters?

Guards get killed too:
https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Report-Shooting-Census-Bureau-Headquarters-in-Md-299259981.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/10/museum.shooting/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1998_United_States_Capitol_shooting_incident

Semi-automatic pistol, rifle, and revolver used.

A legally purchased AR-15 can easily kill an armed guard. This guy got off 70 rounds:
https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/06/politics/congressional-shooter-70-rounds/index.html

Amidst many trained secret service. It's only sheer luck that people didn't actually die.

[Anonymous]

Metal detectors and guards are expensive. About $500,000 the first year for equipment and staff costs. MoCo has 250 schools. Can we afford $125 million for that? Maybe.

You will never stop this type of killing if someone wants to kill. You can, however, minimize the number of deaths. There are a lot of questions you can ask your principal. How many entrances to the school are there? Are they locked? Are they monitored? Can they be unlocked from within to let someone in? What are the safety plans? Can certain parts of the school be locked down/cut off to minimize movement within? What are the safety provisions for kids moving between trailers and the school? What are the safety provisions for the playground? Can individual classroom doors be reinforced? Has the school/school system been researching best practices with respect to security? Who do students/teachers/parents/community members contact when they are concerned about a specific individual or threat? A couple of people formally contacted the FBI about the Florida shooter. But that got lost in the paperwork, apparently. Telling local police is likely a better option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was an armed guard in FL. 17 dead in 5 minutes despite the guard. Shooter didn't stop because of the guard.

We need stricter gun control and to ban AR-15. Crazy people with access to guns will just go to school sports games or the park or library or some other location where there are kids ...

[Anonymous]

YES Langley high has both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Metal detectors and guards are expensive. About $500,000 the first year for equipment and staff costs. MoCo has 250 schools. Can we afford $125 million for that? Maybe.

You will never stop this type of killing if someone wants to kill. You can, however, minimize the number of deaths. There are a lot of questions you can ask your principal. How many entrances to the school are there? Are they locked? Are they monitored? Can they be unlocked from within to let someone in? What are the safety plans? Can certain parts of the school be locked down/cut off to minimize movement within? What are the safety provisions for kids moving between trailers and the school? What are the safety provisions for the playground? Can individual classroom doors be reinforced? Has the school/school system been researching best practices with respect to security? Who do students/teachers/parents/community members contact when they are concerned about a specific individual or threat? A couple of people formally contacted the FBI about the Florida shooter. But that got lost in the paperwork, apparently. Telling local police is likely a better option.

Everyone sadly overlooks the impact on children to feel like they go to school in a prison. It messes with their head and makes them fearful of everything and everyone.

[Anonymous]

No - just no - I don’t think this will help and only make depression and anxiety worse. Can’t and won’t live like this - it will do more harm than good. Only Americans would think this way. It will screw up the kids even more.

[Anonymous]

No. We need to ban AR15s, address bullying, make the FBI do their job, and teach non-violent conflict resolution. Oh and how about treating other people as valuable human beings. Sending our kids to a prison like environment will only make the problem worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Metal detectors and guards are expensive. About $500,000 the first year for equipment and staff costs. MoCo has 250 schools. Can we afford $125 million for that? Maybe.

You will never stop this type of killing if someone wants to kill. You can, however, minimize the number of deaths. There are a lot of questions you can ask your principal. How many entrances to the school are there? Are they locked? Are they monitored? Can they be unlocked from within to let someone in? What are the safety plans? Can certain parts of the school be locked down/cut off to minimize movement within? What are the safety provisions for kids moving between trailers and the school? What are the safety provisions for the playground? Can individual classroom doors be reinforced? Has the school/school system been researching best practices with respect to security? Who do students/teachers/parents/community members contact when they are concerned about a specific individual or threat? A couple of people formally contacted the FBI about the Florida shooter. But that got lost in the paperwork, apparently. Telling local police is likely a better option.

Everyone sadly overlooks the impact on children to feel like they go to school in a prison. It messes with their head and makes them fearful of everything and everyone.

So the threat of a gunman wandering right in makes them feel better? GTFO. And btw people manage to work in fed gov't buildings and courthouses -- not to mention live in NYC and places like Israel -- where you see weaponry around and manage to go on with their lives without acting like precious snowflakes. Plus if it's all you know from age 5 onwards when you start school, you won't even know to be fearful of it bc it'll be normal to you.

[Anonymous]

Few states will ban the AR15. So let's do what we can. Let's find the $100 million that will make schools slightly safer.

And who cares about the little children going through the metal detectors? That's the least of my worries with what our country is currently dealing with. The USA is in many ways a banana republic that is completely saturated with guns. Let them find out the truth.