PA School Board votes 8-0 in favor of arming the school resource officer

[hog45]

http://www.abc27.com/story/25000599/...source-officer

Cornwall-Lebanon votes to arm school resource officer
Posted: Mar 17, 2014 10:45 PM EST Updated: Mar 17, 2014 10:45 PM EST
By Megan Healey - bio | email

CORNWALL, Pa. (WHTM) -

The Cornwall-Lebanon school board voted 8-0 Monday night to arm the school resource officer.

Superintendent Dr. Philip Domencic said the district had been discussing the plan for nearly a year, and emphasized the vote was unrelated to a March 6 threat to Cedar Crest High School made by two ninth grade students.

According to police, the 14-year-olds threatened to "do a school shooting." They were both arrested and charged with multiple counts as juveniles.

Domencic said the district will purchase the weapon and train the officer, who also works part-time as an officer for Millcreek Township and Millersville University.

He could not give an immediate timeline for when the plan will be implemented or how much it will cost.

The resource officer is based out of Cedar Cresh High School, but works at all district schools.

[ForeverPA]

What is a resource "officer"? Is he a civilian, school employee, law enforcement or what? Is he permanently at the school? Reads as if he circulates around which means he likely won't be around when something bad happens.

[knight0334]

What is a resource "officer"? Is he a civilian, school employee, law enforcement or what? Is he permanently at the school? Reads as if he circulates around which means he likely won't be around when something bad happens.

I have no idea as to what that is in PA, but where I went to school 3rd-12th, Tampa FL - it was a full power Deputy Sheriff.

[M&P Chris]

The resource officer at the school I work for is a retired Lt. from a local department. He is now a school employee but upholds most powers.

[Bang]

Lincoln HS (NE Philadelphia) opened in 1950 and had a gentleman we called Dick Tracy. He had his own office, and dealt with delinquency. Know what? I can't recall any conversations about him being armed/not being armed. I know the question never occurred to me. It was kind of like it was assumed he was because we knew he was some kind of cop, and back in those days armed/not armed was not something you would ponder or even cared about.

[daschnoz]

Common sense wins the day. Go figure.....


My money says it won't be a full school year before some pu$$y libtard complains about feeling uncomfortable that there is an armed guard at the his child's school.

We all know the (all but forced) implementation of the "gun free school zone" that they have been pushing for the last 20+ years has been so effective.

[Grey Bearded One]

Lincoln HS (NE Philadelphia) opened in 1950 and had a gentleman we called Dick Tracy. He had his own office, and dealt with delinquency.

Schools used to have "truant officers" but when I was in high school he was called "a home-school visitor."

In Virginia, large schools will often have "a school resource officer" who is a full time cop who has the school as his beat. They deal with the stuff that Vice Principals dealt with when I was in school: drugs, fights, theft, etc.

[PAMedic=F|A=]

From the school safety conference at Penn State....in PA it can be a local cop or State Trooper paid for by the District.


Edit: I wonder if it a Constable could count. I suspect so. I got the impression it simply had to be a LOE. The PSP is pushing hard for school resource officers, "if funding available" IE, if the school district can pay for it.

[tvtog]

Arming resource officers is a growing and welcomed trend here in SWPA. Butler Area School District has retired PA State Troopers at their schools and they are armed.

I would say that community's children are the safest in the area.

Why is this not completely obvious to everyone????

[ChamberedRound]

What is a resource "officer"? Is he a civilian, school employee, law enforcement or what? Is he permanently at the school? Reads as if he circulates around which means he likely won't be around when something bad happens.

I don't care what a "resource officer" is. It could be a Deputy, a private Act 235 licensed individual, or a volunteer parent with a LTCF.

Even as a parent volunteer, you'd be amazed at the background checks, fingerprints, child abuse courses, etc. that are required to be there for more than just an occasional visit. My wife had to go through more hoops to be a weekly volunteer parent in our kids' schools then I had to go through to get my LTCF. I'd prefer someone who's Act 235 certified, as then they have almost the same training qualifications as police. But, if the person passed all the checks to be a volunteer on a regular basis, has an LTCF to boot, and was approved by the board, I'd probably trust them.