Good Senate Bill for Maryland Elementary Schools

[on_the_rox]

I attended the town hall meeting in Towson with Senator Brochin (a co-sponsor on this bill) a few weeks ago. I was emotionally charged there because I was frustrated that the politicians had jumped to take guns as opposed to enacting changes that could have real results. I believe there have been several news reports recoently regarding coaches and resource officers at schools making a difference. I feel the following bill is a good start to protecting my children at their now unguarded elementary school. I believe it would be a good way for Maryland gun owners to show that they are behind a measure that could potentially make a real difference in keeping children safer. This could be our chance to show the antis that we are standing up for real solutions. Yes, we are about putting guns in the schools to protect our children. This is one step to do that. It is an emergency bill which I believe means that it would be enacted as soon as passed. Again, I think this is a way to fight their anti gun save the children message with a pro-gun save the children message. What do you all think? Should we fire up the emails to support this one? Would it show that we too really care about the children? I know I want this and have been talking about it, just wondering what others think.

SB0807 2013 Regular Session

Entitled: Elementary and Secondary Education - Security - School Resource Officers
Sponsored by: Senator Pipkin
Status: In the Senate - Hearing 2/28 at 1:00 p.m.

SummaryDocumentsHistory

Synopsis: Requiring each county superintendent of schools to enter into an agreement with an appropriate law enforcement agency to provide a full-time school resource officer to each public elementary and secondary school; providing that additional funding required for school resource officers shall be paid from the Education Trust Fund from funds allocated from a specified source; and making the Act an emergency measure.

 

[on_the_rox]

Hmmmm, no responses?

I have heard from many in Annapolis that they are going to do something. It seems to me that a bill that places armed resource officers in all schools would be a big step towards doing something positive. If there would have been an armed resource officer at Sandy Hook it could have made a real difference as opposed to and AWB which would have changed nothing. Again, I feel if we were seen as backing a bill like this it would show a few things. We also want to "protect the children". We support realistic solutions. We have more than one goal. I personally think it would take much of the wind out of their other arguments. It is sponsored by many of our good pro-2a senators.

 

[Drmsparks]

Definitely a good idea.

 

[SHOTTAS]

I agree. This is a great idea.

 

[Ozzy]

I agree they have pushed sb281 through it is being voted on Tuesday .They need to put armed security in our SCHOOLS!

 

[aspade]

Putting a cop in every elementary school is kind of like spending $2000 to hire a financial planner for your pick six winnings immediately prior to buying a single ticket.

 

[Kilroy]

I don't know that every single school needs a resource officer. Some schools can share one, others may need more than one.

 

[Norton]

I had a fella who does threat assessment for a living tell me that he ran some numbers and it would take $54 million a year to put an officer in every school in the state.

When you consider that the budget for PGCO is $1.5 billion and AACO just over $1 billion, it doesn't seem like a lot of money to me.

 

[on_the_rox]

I had a fella who does threat assessment for a living tell me that he ran some numbers and it would take $54 million a year to put an officer in every school in the state.

When you consider that the budget for PGCO is $1.5 billion and AACO just over $1 billion, it doesn't seem like a lot of money to me.

I agree. In the grand scheme of things it is not a lot of money.

It employs good people (officers with guns), I places someone on the frontlines for my/our children/grandchildren, it lets the politicians say that they are addressing the problem. This last one is a big one. If they do address the children's safety with this bill they will have done something (that truly makes a difference) and it might just give them less incentive to ban items that as we all know will not make a difference. The bill is being heard in the Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs committee on February 28th. It is proposed as an emergency bill. There is a link specifically to that committee on the Associated Gun Clubs email your legislators link. So in your spare time when you want to mix it up a little send them a note to do something that is really "for the children". I did.

 

[Rattlesnake46319]

Prior to Newtown, my daughter's school had the Big D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) program going. Dads and grandfathers volunteering time to greet the kids when they're dropped off in the morning, crossing guard, wander the halls during the day, stop into the classrooms, out with the kids during recess, etc. Basically, unarmed male show of force. Since Newtown, they've moved to an SRO during the day and the chief took it upon himself to be there greeting kids every morning. No idea if they'll change back, work schedules being what they are and whatnot.

Point is, would a program like that be effective in your own child's school? Would that nullify the argument of "an SRO costs too much"? Yeah, no weapon, but essentially roving guards.

 

[larr]

Resource Officers

We have resource officers in our high schools for some years now. The sheriff's dept. has a deputy in each high school and when there is no school they perform regular duties.

 

[Knuckle66]

Finally a bill that makes sense. Though I doubt it will get anywhere, it doesn't allow the state to take our guns. As for paying for this isn't that what the slot machines were for; to pay for schools and stuff along those lines?

 

[Klunatic]

I agree. This is a great idea.

Not according to Senator Frosh, "we don't need to turn our schools into armed camps".

 

[Mark75H]

I had a fella who does threat assessment for a living tell me that he ran some numbers and it would take $54 million a year to put an officer in every school in the state.

When you consider that the budget for PGCO is $1.5 billion and AACO just over $1 billion, it doesn't seem like a lot of money to me.

BUT! Like larr says, some schools already HAVE officers, so the real number is even lower.

 

[on_the_rox]

Not according to Senator Frosh, "we don't need to turn our schools into armed camps".

I am so tired of that man.

Luckily this bill is not being heard in his committee first. I can only hope that the education committee has a membership that is more in line with public sentiment. Sending another email to them now.

 

[sykesville]

Can't we un-elect Frosh?

 

[LCPIWB]

I agree they have pushed sb281 through it is being voted on Tuesday .They need to put armed security in our SCHOOLS!

Please provide more info.
Has this bill been voted "favorable"? and pulled up for a Full senate vote? or are you trying to say the committee vote is on Tuesday?
I want to know who voted favorable.

 

[aspade]

I had a fella who does threat assessment for a living tell me that he ran some numbers and it would take $54 million a year to put an officer in every school in the state.

When you consider that the budget for PGCO is $1.5 billion and AACO just over $1 billion, it doesn't seem like a lot of money to me.

Montgomery County alone has 195 public schools. MCPD spent about $125,000 per officer in salary and benefits last year.

One officer in every school would cost $25 million a year in this county alone. Other counties have somewhat lower costs - PGCO at $91,000 per officer per year - but with close to 1500 public schools in the state the bottom line is in the order of $150M a year in compensation alone. Add administration, equipment, capital expenses, etc. and the real number will be more like $200M.

That's real money, but more importantly it's real money without any clear benefit. In the past five years there have been about 30 K-12 school shooting events in the US. So Maryland with less than 2% of the population should statistically see about one shooter every 8 years.

That's 1.6 billion dollars, with a B, to put one cop in the building on the one day that it counts.