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.
Unarmed police patrol our schools. This assures us that if ever a madman decides to commit mass murder in one, at least one child will be spared when the assailant uses that bullet to shoot the unarmed cop. Does that make any sense?— DonQ- Here's the thing Columbine occured during the Clinton Assault Weapons ban and CT has its own Assault Weapons ban...NEITHER WORKED.
It was the policy of "Gun Free School Zones" that exposed both teacher and student to a madman who was the only one armed at the school.
Empower citizens to defend themselves and others and watch all this nonsense stop.
BTW, Mexico has some of the toughest gun laws on the planet (as evident by the Marine who is in a Mexican prison for prepossessing an antique gun)....how safe is Mexico???
Right.— Professor1982 - Columbine had armed police when the shooting happened there. Thoughts? — danF
- @DanF. Please don't let the facts get into the way here: Columbine was protected by an external police force and they had no police or police with guns in the school.
As for Mayor Nothing Nutter he is just following the party that had decided that they can use this tragedy to dis-arm the NRA. Why do the likes of Nutter & Lautenberg immediately run to the press and decry the horror of the opposition idearather than acting sanely and using it as a starting point to get something fixed?
I am not a member or associated with the NRA in any form. I am a democrat that wants something MEANINGFUL (vs something that makes us think we are protected.) done to fix the problem. I dare say that if you asked any teacher in that school today would they have wished some policeman was their with a loaded gun and I bet the answer would be hell ya!
- Show me the facts? YOU ARE WRONG! There were NO Police ar ARMED security in the school at the time of the shooting! If I am wrong show me the evidence. I will show you press clips from 4 different sources including Bloomberg, the king of gun haters Enterprise.
- Deputy Neil Gardner was a 15-year veteran of the Jefferson County, Colo., Sheriff’s Office assigned as the uniformed officer at Columbine. According to an account compiled by the police department, Gardner fired on Harris but was unsuccessful in stopping him:
From the Police report:
"Gardner, seeing Harris working with his gun, leaned over the top of the car and fired four shots. He was 60 yards from the gunman. Harris spun hard to the right and Gardner momentarily thought he had hit him. Seconds later, Harris began shooting again at the deputy.
After the exchange of gunfire, Harris ran back into the building. Gardner was able to get on the police radio and called for assistance from other Sheriff’s units. "Shots in the building. I need someone in the south lot with me."
BTW:
The second officer was Deputy Paul Smoker, a motorcycle patrolman who was near the school writing a speeding ticket. When he heard a dispatch of a woman injured at the high school, he responded. He, too, fired at Harris but didn't stop him.— nebulus - professor of stupid
if you armed more citizens do you not increase the likelihood of more killings? would you not increase the nonsense?
fools like you with guns make this country LESS safe.
dope— the lopez! - Hi Lopez - Only if the country is full of people like you.BTW, I know 26 families in CT who probably wish someone could have/would have defended their children and family members in CT... (HTML deleted) — Professor1982
- I actually know one of the victims. I know someone who buried their child this week due to gun violence. I can guarantee you, as God as my witness, they do not want more guns. — jonline
- you make the assumption that the teachers could actually hit the attacker. Most people I know wouldn't have the safety unlocked the gun before a madman would have a dozen bullets in them. And then they've gifted the killer another gun. Arming teachers is just giving more weapons to attackers. If you're going to put guns in schools, bring in the army and do it right. — jkarpins1
- I love it how you can't think of a constructive response to his statement, just an insult. Professor indeed. — jkarpins1
- Here's the thing, dull-wit "professor": We live in a society that worships violence, and until that begins to change, stupidities will continue.
The notion that having more loonies, er, citizens running around with guns will change things is probably quite correct, and change for the WORSE it would be.
There is little doubt there would be daily shootouts all over the place. Get enough of these "defenders" under arms and the shootouts can begin in the morning and continue…— BEMiller - I would rather die in a shootout with a gun in my hand, than at the mercy of a madman or government with a gun to the back of my head. — Professor1982
- i too would rather you die with the gun in your hand and the barrel in your mouth. — the lopez!
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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