Issue link: https://securitytechnologyexecutive.epubxp.com/i/107544
THE LAST WORD "Bringing armed guards into schools is absolutely the dumbest idea imaginable. Most incidents are over very quickly — too soon to respond, responders won't know who the bad guy is, possible friendly fire incidents, more chances for accidents, misplaced weapons, accidental discharge, unstable guards, the bad scenarios are almost endless against the one in 10 million chance of 'maybe' saving a life." "If the best predictor of the future is the past, then I support trained and regulated armed guards for schools as well as other public 'soft targets' where large numbers of people tend to congregate. President Clinton proposed a major expansion of armed security in schools during his administration, so this need not be a partisan issue." Q. "What we need is skilled and trained personnel capable to respond with speed to any situation. If armed personnel are needed then they should be 'covert' former police or military supported by state-of-the-art security and surveillance equipment and the latest in entrance and egress controls." Do schools need armed guards? We asked, you answered — and it seems security executives are just as divided as the rest of the county on this issue: "This is a knee-jerk reaction to a more complicated problem. Columbine had armed security — 15 dead and 23 injured. Academia will become a law enforcement state policing the wrong people and hampering what schools were intended to provide. This subject needs further study." "We can't fix this problem by only implementing one mitigation. Society has to recognize and accept that violence is a byproduct of a free society, and can't be completely eliminated. That being said, our government needs prepare and plan for the worst, so when it happens we can effectively respond." 34 "To best mitigate risks, schools need sound physical security measures, emergency management procedures, staff training, and parent communications — not armed guards." "Having armed protection in our schools would offer an effective deterrent against deadly shooters and the obvious common denominators of mass shootings: an environment that has little or no protection, a large isolated group of defenseless spectators, a channel for a surprise attack and about five minutes of uninterrupted time." "Before deciding whether to use armed guards or any other security countermeasure, schools must conduct a risk assessment with the goal of ranking threats in terms of probability and consequence." SECURITY TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE • January/February 2013 www.SecurityInfoWatch.com