Cops don't get to carry their guns after all. Tribune
According to Susie Gran's report;
"Current policy prohibits officers from carrying their weapons during school hours." ...and nothing more.
But now Paula Maes says she will wait for unnecessary direction from the NMAG or the legislature before she will change board policy.
"But board President Paula Maes said it will likely be months before officers see any changes in the district's gun policy as they wait for advice from the Attorney General's Office - or word from the Legislature - sanctioning a full-fledged school police department."
Either Beth Everitt has the authority to allow police officers to carry guns or she doesn't. If she doesn't,
how can she allow them to carry guns in "emergencies"? No permission is necessary to arm officers 24/7.
The board could put guns in the holsters of police officers in 48 hours. 24 hours after announcing the time and date of a policy committee meeting; the policy committee could meet and rewrite policy as necessary. 24 hours after giving notice of a special school board meeting; they could vote to accept the rewritten policy.
It was decided to arm APS police officers because it was the safest thing to do.
Will danger take a holiday while Paula Maes, Robert Lucero, Berna Facio, and Delores Griego try to undo what was done?
This is why the Council of the Great City schools wrote;
The failure of the district's Board of Education and its executive leadership to act on recommendations contained in previous APS PD studies suggests that they lack the interest and the capacity to oversee the functions of the department....emphasis added.
3 comments:
Actually, what Paula doesn't seem to understand is that these Police Officers already have the legal right to be armed since they're Commissioned by BCSO. It is the APS PD employers (the Board & Dr. Everitt)that set the policy. Right now, they have as much LEGAL right to be armed 24/7 as they do after 5PM. The Board needs to just lift that restriction. Simple as that ... HA!
I think Paula understand perfectly. She doesn't want guns on campus; but she knows her constituents do.
She is just trying to straddle the fence; looking like she is representing her constituents while at the same time obfuscating their expressed wishes.
Another thing to consider: Denver Public Schools has armed security officers. They have no police powers. NM state law allows security officers to carry weapons on campus as long as it is part of their job duties. Nothing prohibits APS from arming its non-police security people.
Two of the officers who left JeffCo schools went to Denver when they disagreed with JeffCo's decision to disarm is security force. JeffCo was the poor District to endure the massacre of students and a teacher at Columbine High. And they disarmed their security, because in the ensuing lawsuits it was firmly determined that Jefferson County Colorado SCHOOLS had NO responsibility or authority to provide police protection; it was determined by judges and lawyers that the Sherrif was responsible for providing law enforcement services. Makes sense.
J. Lopez, former JeffCo Schools Security Supervisor
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