24 February 2015
By A.F. James MacArthur
Agitator In Chief
On Twitter: @BaltoSpectator
MACARTHUR INDEPENDENT NEWS SERVICE
Should Baltimore City Schools Police be able to roam the hallways of our public schools while packing heat?
Packed city school board hearing on armed police officers. pic.twitter.com/sBfrtlP8ld
— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) February 24, 2015
As this is being written, the public is weighing in on that very same question at Baltimore Public School headquarters on North Ave.
That children in school need a comfortable, secure environment at school in order to thrive is without question. Well documented tensions between the black community and police shouldn't be ignored when thinking of this. Are we simply trying to increase intimidation and the fear factor for students?
Currently schools police -- Baltimore is the only school district in the state with it's own dedicated force -- patrol outside the buildings and on campus grounds armed, but are supposed to secure their weapons when routinely entering the interior of the premises.
First something should be made absolutely clear. In a true emergency, responding officers from outside the building would be able to have their weapons with them. This has never been a question. The matter is concerning routine operations, when nothing is going on, except children hopefully trying to learn.
Secondly, as any security or intelligence professional can tell you, by the time you need an armed response inside of a controlled access building like a school, you've already failed on multiple levels.
Good security is all about proactive prevention, not reacting after all hell has broken loose.
