Sheepdogs for Lambs: Meaningful Action to Protect Schools
Recent tragic events have restarted a debate in Washington about what politicians should do to protect school children. Politicians call for “meaningful action” to prevent killings. I strongly agree, we need meaningful action.
As I listened to the news reports, I realized that there is nothing that politicians can do to prevent school shootings, but that doesn’t mean that nothing can be done.
Following the assassination of President Kennedy, America has seen a parade of ineffective attempts at gun control which have done little to prevent violence. Criminals and terrorists do not obey laws. Lawyers and legislators know little about guns and violence.
Improvements in Presidential security didn’t rely on new laws. When would be assassins later attacked Presidents Ford and Regan, it wasn’t gun laws that stopped them, it was active and competent Secret Service Agents with guns.
When commercial airplanes were being hijacked in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, airports introduced metal detectors and placed armed law enforcement in the cabins and flightdecks of commercial airlines.
Congress has allocated millions of dollars to protect schools from COVID, we can also protect them from insane killers. The vital question: How do we get trained armed men and women into schools immediately? A simple non-political solution is to invite off duty and retired cops to volunteer at a specific school for one or two days a month.
At no cost, 15 or so volunteer cops and former cops could provide 100% armed coverage. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA) authorizes qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms. Police officers are armed and trained. They are authorized to carry firearms and they are motivated to protect kids.
If we start with cop parents and grandparents protecting their own and mix in a few cop friends, we can do this. No new legislation, no new training, we can just DO this.
There is a Sheriff in every county of the United States. Many Sheriffs already have School Resource Officers in place. These Resource Officers could provide leadership and coordination to volunteer security efforts. Selection, qualification and training can be managed by the Sheriff.
Give a cop a place to sit near the door. Let them eat lunch in the cafeteria. Let them watch and help. When the wolf comes, they will know what to do.
My working name for this project is “Sheepdogs for Lambs.” I believe that the men and women who volunteer should carry concealed and below-profile. We can develop classes in the near future, but we don’t need to wait for that. Today, we can start making schools safer.
I would encourage school administrators to put this program ino place immediately. I would tell parents and kids that there are strong and brave men and women who will be there and not hesitate to place themselves between kids and danger. I would let the community know that there is ARMED protection at the school.
Terrorist planners and would be lone wolf shooters around the world are watching. We have seen what they did at Beslan. We have found school floor plans in caves in Afghanistan. Let’s step forward, not in fear, but in cold calm resolve. #Neveragain
by Marcus Custer
