Colorado school district buys semi-automatic long rifles
Fermin Urenda Apr 20, 2016
A suburban Denver school district is arming its security staff with military-style semiautomatic rifles to protect students in case of a school shooting or other violent attack. This is what the Douglas County School District in Colorado had in mind when it purchased 10 semi-automatic assault rifles for its armed patrol division. "We've partnered with law enforcement at a level that I've not seen before".
The move to arm security staff with this state-of-the-art weaponry didn't come cheap or lightly.
The security officers will keep the rifles locked in their security cars during the day while they go between schools, and locked up in a safe overnight.
According to Douglas County schools spokesperson Paula Hans, all district security officers are former law enforcement officers, which is a part of the job requirement.
"The security officers train side-by-side with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office", he said. She explained that the officers, who already have handguns, still need to go undergo rifle training with the local sheriff's department before they are qualified to use the weapons.
The Denver Post reports (http://dpo.st/1rdWMvc ) director of security Richard Payne says the switch from handguns to rifles for the district's eight armed officers is meant to ensure they have the same tools as other law enforcement agencies.
"They will not be in the schools", he said of the weapons.
"We've got to keep our kids safe and we've got to keep our staff and community safe, but in my opinion, that's the role of law enforcement, it's not the role of a public school district", said school board member Wendy Vogel.
Safety consultant Dan Montgomery says the high-powered weapons potentially pose a danger not only to perpetrators, but also to students. "I would make sure the decision is supported politically and socially".
The move to arm security staff with this state-of-the-art weaponry didn't come cheap or lightly.
The security officers will keep the rifles locked in their security cars during the day while they go between schools, and locked up in a safe overnight.
According to Douglas County schools spokesperson Paula Hans, all district security officers are former law enforcement officers, which is a part of the job requirement.
"The security officers train side-by-side with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office", he said. She explained that the officers, who already have handguns, still need to go undergo rifle training with the local sheriff's department before they are qualified to use the weapons.
The Denver Post reports (http://dpo.st/1rdWMvc ) director of security Richard Payne says the switch from handguns to rifles for the district's eight armed officers is meant to ensure they have the same tools as other law enforcement agencies.
"They will not be in the schools", he said of the weapons.
"We've got to keep our kids safe and we've got to keep our staff and community safe, but in my opinion, that's the role of law enforcement, it's not the role of a public school district", said school board member Wendy Vogel.
Safety consultant Dan Montgomery says the high-powered weapons potentially pose a danger not only to perpetrators, but also to students. "I would make sure the decision is supported politically and socially".
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