Nutter: arming all school police 'ludicrous,' 'insane'
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia School District by the Philadelphia Inquirer's Kristen Graham.
Nutter: arming all school police 'ludicrous,' 'insane'
Kristen Graham
Mayor Nutter’s reaction to the National Rifle Association’s suggestion that armed guards be placed in every American school?
“That message was an insult to the lives of those children,” the mayor said in an interview Friday, referencing the grade schoolers murdered a week ago in Newtown, Ct. “That we would face the prospects of shootouts in our schools, and utilize the precious and declining resources in public education to put armed personnel in every school is insane.”
Nutter dismissed the idea as coming from someone “who had clearly watched too many old Westerns” and said that NRA executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre lost all credibility because he "didn't have the guts, didn't have the sensibility to at least acknowledge that there is a gun problem in the United States of America."
Nutter is the parent of a daughter who attends Philadelphia public schools.
Yes, some Philadelphia public schools have unacceptable levels of violence, but universal guns are not the answer, he said.
An unarmed police force monitors the Philadelphia School District, with officers permanently stationed inside many schools and others making do with roving patrols. Armed city police officers do work inside some of the city’s larger high schools.
Every Philadelphia public high school also has a metal detector or hand-held scanner.
The idea of arming officers in Philadelphia schools has surfaced in the past.
In 2004, then-schools chief Paul Vallas said he wanted to place armed officers in high schools, an idea that was staunchly opposed by Mayor John Street and others who believe that the move would create a police state inside schools, and inappropriately criminalize behavior that ought to be handled with discipline. More behavior supports and front-end intervention is the answer, not armed officers, they said.
Vallas’ suggestion came after a Strawberry Mansion student was gunned down near the school.
But the idea never really gained traction.
After "Assault on Learning," the Inquirer's investigative series on school violence, ran in 2011, an administration official said that both Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey believed putting city police inside some schools was one way to help curb violence.
A city police officer, Chief Inspector Cynthia Dorsey, is now head of the school district's safety force.
I'm with nutter on this one!
"arming all school police 'ludicrous,' 'insane"... As insane as someone willfully coming in to a school to kill 6 year olds.
— CA Scum- The NRA is crazy -- there should be no guns in this country period. How many shootings happened last year in the UK - 35 / population 60 million - Philadelphia 233 - population 1.5M. History has shown we as a society cannot handle the responsibility - they all need to go!!— ma2274rk
"That we would face the prospects of shootouts in our schools," Really? How many shootouts do you hear about in federal buildings that have armed guards, or banks that have armed guards.— LouDiamondPhillipsheadScrewdriver
So the serious conversation promised by Wayne LaPierre went something like this: "It's everything but us". Then again, what do you expect from the 'Grover Norquist of guns'?
Not that his proposition even deserves to be taken seriously, but what if a psychopathic gunman kills the policeman/security guard first?
Don't tell me, gun nuts, I already know: Hire TWO policemen/security guards. And so forth. While we're at it, why stop at schools? How about playgrounds? Daycare Centers? Chuck E Cheeses?
The ultimate goal of these creeps is to have the whole population carrying around a firearm.— wokmaster- But then what if we ban and confiscate all guns, and someone gets a gun from outside the country? Don't tell me, liberal nuts, I already know: Force EVERY country to ban guns. Or what about if someone makes a homemade bomb out of a Ryder truck? Don't tell me, liberal nuts, I already know the answer: Ban ALL chemicals and Ryder trucks. — LouDiamondPhillipsheadScrewdriver
- Another flaccid argument. Ryder trucks have a different purpose. So do some of the chemicals that make bombs. Guns only have one purpose - to kill.
But please, keep contorting yourself into a pretzel, flailing at every extraneous factor other than guns.
We're coming for your combat weapons and extended magazines. We will win. You will lose.
Get on board or get out of the way, simpleton.— wokmaster - Win what? Over 300 a murders a year in Philly alone, and how many were with assault rifles? What are you "winning"? Unless you're talking about a Charlie Sheen version of #winning. Guns are never going to be banned, so it sounds like you're going to lose. I could care less about automatic weapons and extended magazines. I don't own one, and don't see why any person should have one. The problem is you never hold anyone personally accountable. What would be the liberal narrative is he had blown up the classromm? Also, it's funny when someone challenges you, all you have is name-calling. Typical. Go run along now. — LouDiamondPhillipsheadScrewdriver
- Challenges me? You mean by copying my words and giving a stupid analogy? Please! The sensible people of this country will win the war against the crazies - meaning gun nuts. No, it won't be won in one fell swoop. This massacre was a turning point. Again, sensible people are waking up to the fact that the gun lobby (NRA) has far too much power. Laws will be passed. Assault weapons will be banned. Eventually, legislation will be passed which holds manufacturers liable for these kind of occurences and, like Big Tobacco, they will be sued into oblivion. — wokmaster
- Hey Mayor Peanut Nutter, keep on blaming the NRA for your problems that you created. It creates a nice scapegoat.— CD75
- Has nutter been in a public school lately? They might as well be armed. They are like a prison. That's why citizens who have at least a little bit of money send their children to private or parochial schools. Stop busing, keep nieborhood schools local, this will bring the schools back. Idiots.
,— krautmef1 - Ignorant liberal like Wokie are afraid to look in the mirror. It is much easier for them to blame the NRA. Totalitarians often create scapegoats to take liberty from the ignorant.— CD75
- Ignorant liberals like Wokie are afraid to look in the mirror. It is much easier for them to blame the NRA. Totalitarians often create scapegoats to take liberty from the ignorant.— CD75
- Knee-jerk responses to a stunning mass murder are to be expected and should be dismissed by the rational few. It isn't crazy or insane to consider arming school police. It is foolish to dismiss any idea at this point, because we know what we do now isn't enough. When is the last time an armed "nut" attacked a police station in this country? Can any of you know it alls explain why mass murderers go to movie theaters, churches/temples/synogogues and shopping malls instead of a gun range? Any ideas? Could it be because eveyone at the range is armed but not likely at the listed places? Hmmmmmmmmm?— Getinline
- As someone who frequents City Hall, I do notice that access to the Second Floor (where Mr. Nutter's Office is situated) is restricted and armed Philadelphia Police Officers are stationed in the Northeast quadrant between the public and the elevators, as well as between the elevators on the second floor and Mr. Nutter's office.
Strange that he hasn't removed them for fear of a shootout.— Cliff T. Montgomery
During the school year, you’ll frequently find her hosting live chats about the district on Philly.com. Please do pass along the scoop about what’s going on at your Philadelphia public school; Kristen welcomes tips, story ideas and witty banter at kgraham@phillynews.com or 215-854-5146.
You can also follow Kristen on Twitter here.
