General Discussion

The Velveteen Ocelot

(130,698 posts)

12. The expense would be absolutely crushing.

Sun Dec 16, 2012, 11:25 PM

Dec 2012

There are almost 100,000 public schools in the United States. Assuming each officer is paid $50K, to put an armed officer in each school would cost $5 billion per year. Where will that money come from, considering how underfunded the public schools are already?

But let's assume the Budget Fairy finds the money and each school gets an armed guard. One armed officer. Many schools are very large, and that officer can't be everywhere at once. How effective would one guy be against a lunatic with an automatic weapon who sneaks in and starts shooting before the officer even knows he's there?

Some inner-city high schools do have guards. But I don't know how we can put them in every single school, and I don't think this is the solution to the problem.

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It is time for ARMED security in every school in this country! [View all] JohLast Dec 2012 OP

Sorry, guns and children do not mix anywhere at anytime. MichiganVote Dec 2012 #1

Yeah, THINK of the crossfire! Warpy Dec 2012 #2

Yep. Let's have MOAR GUNZ around our children. Chorophyll Dec 2012 #3

Go away. We've got enough gun porn lovers here. nt sufrommich Dec 2012 #4

You know, I am not sure we shouldn't at least talk about this. renie408 Dec 2012 #5

It's different in elementary schools, the kids go sufrommich Dec 2012 #10

I thought the question was whether or not to have a police officer assigned to schools. renie408 Dec 2012 #35

My point is that an armed security guard gives people a false sufrommich Dec 2012 #47

You'll be called every name in the book, as you see... Eleanors38 Dec 2012 #98

Right, we can add cops to the schools and its free and the GOP will support it. JoePhilly Dec 2012 #6

You're wrong there, I believe. R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2012 #58

NO MORE FUCKING GUNS we can do it Dec 2012 #7

I don't mind licensed security guards having guns democrattotheend Dec 2012 #17

Not in school. we can do it Dec 2012 #102

What stopped him from shooting even more? AlexSatan Dec 2012 #116

you have a magic spell to make them all disappear? snooper2 Dec 2012 #91

Another to the ignore list we can do it Dec 2012 #104

ROFL, I don't even have a gun anymore snooper2 Dec 2012 #107

$6.5 billion XemaSab Dec 2012 #8

$50K W-2 is closer to $120K in cost ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2012 #25

My point still stands XemaSab Dec 2012 #33

Actually it is enhanced ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2012 #44

I can think of a lot worse ways to spend $6.5B than protecting our innocent children. ComplimentarySwine Dec 2012 #36

Yes. Eleanors38 Dec 2012 #100

No it isn't, don't be stupid. flvegan Dec 2012 #9

"You use the word "I" an awful lot, together with "my" " JohLast Dec 2012 #21

Sigh. flvegan Dec 2012 #51

It's not about me, it is about "my" grandkids security. JohLast Dec 2012 #81

If your objective is to kill more children, there are simpler ways. baldguy Dec 2012 #11

So the only solution is something that is basically impossible to accomplish? n/t ComplimentarySwine Dec 2012 #39

The expense would be absolutely crushing. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #12

Deterrent factor could be enough actually to prevent most shootings... Flabbergasted Dec 2012 #46

Do you really think all the airport security has deterred a single al Quaida attack?? That coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #87

I don't know and neither do you. Nt Flabbergasted Dec 2012 #94

Many schools already have them AlexSatan Dec 2012 #117

"The expense would be absolutely crushing." Ganja Ninja Dec 2012 #132

I'm still not convinced this is such a great idea. But if it were to be done, The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #133

Stupid, stupid idea Marrah_G Dec 2012 #13

Say what you want, JohLast Dec 2012 #18

I agree we have millions of people out of work and I am sure there are plenty that could be doc03 Dec 2012 #14

I agree Berserker Dec 2012 #15

cool story, bro cthulu2016 Dec 2012 #16

And then when the shooters move to libraries, bus stops, banks, marybourg Dec 2012 #19

Libraries, museums, supermarkets, hospitals already have armed security. What is your point? JohLast Dec 2012 #22

Not where I live they don't. marybourg Dec 2012 #23

I have never seen an armed security guard in any of those places. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #29

Lets see. JohLast Dec 2012 #42

Wow. I can honestly say I've never seen a security guard, The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #62

Not sure which side of the river you are on sarisataka Dec 2012 #64

Southwest Minneapolis. The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #65

My wife's home neighborhood sarisataka Dec 2012 #69

Hard to imagine armed security The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #74

I can just picture that sarisataka Dec 2012 #75

Our school had an armed LEO, who was on campus Eleanors38 Dec 2012 #106

A grocery store robbery in St. Paul just this morning! The Velveteen Ocelot Dec 2012 #123

People are killed in hospitals by armed individuals REGULARLY rustydog Dec 2012 #56

+1,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000 - Well put and definitely coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #89

You should step away from the bong now. R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2012 #61

This is the best argument AlexSatan Dec 2012 #118

We have armed police officers in police stations all over the country and officers rustydog Dec 2012 #20

This have happen what - once, wow that is a good reason to NOT protect out kids. JohLast Dec 2012 #26

Putting guns in thehands of untrained teachers is NOT protecting our children! rustydog Dec 2012 #59

Armed security, bullet-proof glass and other procedures cost money and.. Tikki Dec 2012 #24

We'll get rid of all the blood-sucking union-loving teachers and replace them marybourg Dec 2012 #52

I already have seen problems with LEOs in schools becoming the biggest bullies ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2012 #27

You are right, the police is the problem - wow. JohLast Dec 2012 #28

The solution might just be a mixture of things. An armed officer might be a deterrent. Honeycombe8 Dec 2012 #43

Please see #98. Eleanors38 Dec 2012 #109

Is this thread an omen of things to come? sarisataka Dec 2012 #30

The momentum will fracture over differing proposed solutions as we see here ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2012 #34

Military screening reteachinwi Dec 2012 #111

I do sarisataka Dec 2012 #114

Thanks reteachinwi Dec 2012 #115

I may be proRKBA sarisataka Dec 2012 #121

Wow, I LIKE that! Jackpine Radical Dec 2012 #119

I hope it helps sarisataka Dec 2012 #122

We solve the crises of unregulated guns by making schools into fortresses? Agnosticsherbet Dec 2012 #31

And what if we don't get strong gun control laws?? I am a teacher. I want my students safe. adigal Dec 2012 #92

All of us want students (and their educators) safe. I think there is a legitimate coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #93

I agree with you about the chaos, which is why I think it is laughable adigal Dec 2012 #103

Would you also have armed guards at every day school, summer camp, Big Blue Marble Dec 2012 #32

"Killers with guns will find the eastiest targets" You are right! JohLast Dec 2012 #38

It was not the school that was the target. Big Blue Marble Dec 2012 #55

Also armed playgrounds, parks, supermarkets, malls, libraries and yogurt stands! nt Bonobo Dec 2012 #37

Been to Israel? ProgressiveProfessor Dec 2012 #41

I was at first appalled by your OP. But, thinking of it as a deterrent, it might work. Honeycombe8 Dec 2012 #40

There you go again Lydia Leftcoast Dec 2012 #70

Please check #98.... Eleanors38 Dec 2012 #110

Oh, I can just imagine what the wingnuts would say about THAT! I can hear it now. Honeycombe8 Dec 2012 #125

Don't be silly. Why must society continue to coddle gun fetishists? PSPS Dec 2012 #45

That is fucking stupid. Zoeisright Dec 2012 #48

It could be a short term solution, but long term we need to change the mentality in RKP5637 Dec 2012 #49

I agree with you about changing mentality. But it's highly unpopular on DU to say that. KittyWampus Dec 2012 #90

Mass shooters normally kill themselves when met with any resistance at all. frank380 Dec 2012 #50

I don't see the problem with having an armed security guard at schools. My Flabbergasted Dec 2012 #53

Let's not stop there, Hoss! R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2012 #54

and mall, and movie theater, and outside the schools, and playgrounds, and.... well.... Motown_Johnny Dec 2012 #57

What's not to love about this plan? Fortress America! Fuck Yeah!! R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2012 #63

Aren't these the same people who are worried about the black helicopters? Motown_Johnny Dec 2012 #66

Either that or a sane America. R. Daneel Olivaw Dec 2012 #67

The middle school I attended had an armed school resource officer Carnage251 Dec 2012 #60

So did my junior high school MannyGoldstein Dec 2012 #76

+1. Your post should win DU's Award for Dry Understatement of the Week, I think - n/t coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #96

No, it's time to lock up the gun nuts for life. kestrel91316 Dec 2012 #68

As someone else posted elsewhere, recall the Fort Hood shootings Lydia Leftcoast Dec 2012 #71

No one on base was armed, but the security guards at the gates. JohLast Dec 2012 #77

So you're telling me that on a base where most people were trained in handling weapons Lydia Leftcoast Dec 2012 #129

+1,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000 - n/t coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #97

So should we also have guard towers at malls? nadinbrzezinski Dec 2012 #72

We do have armed guards at hospitals and cinema's. JohLast Dec 2012 #78

We do? And I live at a large city nadinbrzezinski Dec 2012 #83

i don't think an armed guard is any deterrent to a guy with body armor and machine guns? spanone Dec 2012 #73

You're nuts... Ellipsis Dec 2012 #79

Newp, sorry LittleBlue Dec 2012 #80

A rent-a-cop with a pea shooter is not going to stop a lunatic in kevlar armed with a small arsonal. bklyncowgirl Dec 2012 #82

Cool, more bullets flying and every security guard will be another corpse RomneyLies Dec 2012 #84

I never thought I would agree with this, but if we do nothing about gun control adigal Dec 2012 #85

Should we 'game' out your suggestion to its hypothetical close in the case coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #86

Why stop there? Why not at the mall? Why not at the resturant? The hospital? The pharmacy...? Earth_First Dec 2012 #88

Yeah? And what about gun control? Marr Dec 2012 #95

24 posts and you already spew insane NRA-sponsored BS...nice joeybee12 Dec 2012 #99

Absurd idea I'd expect to hear from the NRA Auggie Dec 2012 #101

And how much will THAT cost? louis-t Dec 2012 #105

I grew up... LP2K12 Dec 2012 #108

And so we become one great big fortress tblue Dec 2012 #112

Sure because being trained with firearm helped these guys. The Midway Rebel Dec 2012 #113

I sadly agree. But it's not a school district cost. It's a new Gun Management federal program libdem4life Dec 2012 #120

We are laying off teachers, increasing class sizes, eliminating music and art PA Democrat Dec 2012 #124

A jury voted 3-3 to leave this trollery alone. Warren Stupidity Dec 2012 #126

Yes - because Americans are so eager to fund schools. liberalmuse Dec 2012 #127

Till they get bored quakerboy Dec 2012 #128

It's a good start JoeyTheWhack Dec 2012 #130

I don't think this idea should be dismissed so easily. Ganja Ninja Dec 2012 #131