Nutter: arming all school police 'ludicrous,' 'insane'
Mayor Nutter’s reaction to the National Rifle Association’s suggestion that armed guards be placed in every American school?
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.
The NRA proposal makes perfect sense -- if you are one of the gun manufacturers that control the NRA and want to sell as many guns as possible, damn the consequences.— JackJLewis- There is already armed officers in Philly schools and schools all around the country. The NRA just wants the .gov to expand the use of armed guards. And before all your Dems get freaked out and say this will be the wild west in schools around children, how do you explain that it hasn't happened already with armed officers?— Taxpaying Voter
- lol. is it any more insane than arming the hopelessly corrupt philadelphia police department?? is this guy serious??— rudyhuxtable
- When was the last time Nutter was in a Philadelphia Public School? Is he nuts?— gjd741
- Nutter is considered an expert on shootings because the city he is in charge of has made shooting people an art form. Talk about ludicrous.— tr88
- Arm movie theatre ushers ? now that would be scary !!— fat tony
- "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."
I guess now that they'd rather push for a gun ban it is no longer a way to help...— blackscreen - Arming MORE people will NOT solve this deep problem this country has with guns. Do you really want it to be the wild west all over again? Reasonable gun regulation IS necessary - who needs to shoot deer with an assault rifle? And for personal protection, a handgun works just fine.— WayOutWest
- I think that if you feel the need to have security, be it at the mall, a school or anywhere else, than those people should be armed. If you tryst them enough to be "security" but you don't want to trust them with guns, what does that really say about them?— truthfirst
- its almost as ludicrous as police who cant arrest anyone isnt it? oh wait, we now have those too. lol. our mayor is a joke.— rudyhuxtable
- Wondering if a armed police officer drives the Mayor's daughter to school.— akelly
- NRA is rarely right, but right here. Arm the guards. Fear needs to be instilled in thugs.. fear of arrest doesnt exist.— Nezhy
- With a large majority of philly cops corrupt, I too think that allowing them, armed, into schools is a mistake.— psyrus
- To be in constant fear of the "government coming to take our guns" is to misunderstand the structure of our system here in the US. It is delusional, paranoid, and unhealthy for any child to be exposed to the results of the delusional paranoia. And what ever happened to "Live by the sword (or gun), die by the sword (or gun)"? And "Violence is not the answer"? The NRA think violence IS the answer, and their paydays depend on it. And the sheeple followers who can't think for themselves or face their own sense of mortality will quote God, carry a Bible and a flag, and spew venom about those who would rather live in a peaceful world without violence and guns. I expect some of those will follow this comment here. They condone violence, even if it is in reaction to violence. It is still violence.
"the government is going to take our guns away" is the root of it all. Delusion paranoia that has no place in an advanced civilized world.— TheLowDown - An unarmed police officer is a security guard. Period.— Smokey
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.
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