Snohomish Co. sheriff creates special unit for school safety
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EVERETT, Wash. -- The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office has announced a major effort to increase school safety.
Sheriff John Lovick says the tragedy last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newport, Connecticut has prompted him to form the School Safety Unit, which will consist of five deputies assigned to schools in unincorporated parts of the county.
Since the Connecticut shooting, the sheriff says Snohomish County has increased visibility of deputies around schools, and the resulting feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive. Now, he is going a step further by creating the special unit.
Many parents dropping off kids at Gateway Middle School Wednesday morning said they would be happy to see armed deputies at the school.
"I like it," said parent Tori Jones. "I don't think there could be enough security to help all the kids. I think that would be a great idea."
"Anything they can do to improve school security is fantastic," said parent Lotte Klepfer.
But some were hesitant to embrace the idea.
"I don't know if that invites more antagonism," said parent Diana Dallal. "I don't like going somewhere where there is a lot of military (or) police present. That makes me feel more unsafe, I don't know why."
There are more than 100 schools in unincorporated parts of the county. The sheriff's office has not yet decided exactly which schools will get the most attention from the new force.
Sheriff John Lovick says the tragedy last month at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newport, Connecticut has prompted him to form the School Safety Unit, which will consist of five deputies assigned to schools in unincorporated parts of the county.
Since the Connecticut shooting, the sheriff says Snohomish County has increased visibility of deputies around schools, and the resulting feedback from parents has been overwhelmingly positive. Now, he is going a step further by creating the special unit.
Many parents dropping off kids at Gateway Middle School Wednesday morning said they would be happy to see armed deputies at the school.
"I like it," said parent Tori Jones. "I don't think there could be enough security to help all the kids. I think that would be a great idea."
"Anything they can do to improve school security is fantastic," said parent Lotte Klepfer.
But some were hesitant to embrace the idea.
"I don't know if that invites more antagonism," said parent Diana Dallal. "I don't like going somewhere where there is a lot of military (or) police present. That makes me feel more unsafe, I don't know why."
There are more than 100 schools in unincorporated parts of the county. The sheriff's office has not yet decided exactly which schools will get the most attention from the new force.
The Everett Herald reported that it will cost $1 million for the 5 officers they are adding. Seems a bit expensive, doesn't it?
 @giveitarest It would be cheaper to require current teachers and admins to take training and equip them with firearms and not give them a pay raise. They don't like that? It's ok we have a high unemployment rate, find someone else who will like it.Â
I have read many of these responses and am not sure anyone really gets the whole picture. I am a retired deputy sheriff, now working in a high school as a security officer. The last nine years of my career I was an SRO for a large school district. We have to look at the whole situation. Armed police officers or security at a school is NOT going to keep people from being injured. They can't be at the exact location of the event WHEN it happens. What they CAN prevent is a large number of people from being injured. If a person is intent on coming into a school they are going to get in, no matter what precautions that are taken. Sandy Hook had security doors installed and a person had to be "buzzed" in. The shooter entered the school by breaking out a window. Metal detectors won't solve the problem because if a kid wants to get a gun into a school, they will bypass the metal detector. I want to keep our kids as safe as possible, but short of turning our school into fortresses with moats and minefields, keeping bad people out is virtually impossible. We are not going to ban all guns, hard as politicians and lobbyist try. No amount of laws is going to keep criminals from getting guns and committing violent acts. Heck, drug use is illegal, but people are still able to get pretty much anything they want. Getting firearms will be the same way. I am not advocating for arming security officers in our schools, but maybe that is the only way we can keep MOST of our kids safe. IF bad guys know they are going to be confronted with like force, THAT will be the deterrent. I would be remiss to say it will prevent all school shootings, but it will stop more than we are stopping now. Schools are gun free zones and the bad guys know it. This will require school districts to scrutinize their hiring practices more when hiring school security, and will involve frequent firearms training like I received during my law enforcement career, which will cost school districts more money. I have to ask, is it worth the price it would cost to keep our kids safe. I say, yes it is. Kids can't learn if they feel unsafe in school.
 @kboard306 You are wrong, in other places in the world they arm teachers and they don't have these mass shootings. You are right about security guards being a failure, they can't be everywhere in the building at the same time, but teachers and staff all armed can.
This is a very touchy subject for me. I have a son who has some special needs, he can barely walk, let alone run. I think of ways to keep him safe, but I have yet to figure out school safety. Do I like the idea of armed police walking around school or outside of the school - no. That does not guarantee my sons safety. I do not like the idea of any staff having a gun either. My son also falls a lot and when he does, he will grab hold of anyone standing next to him, to catch his balance. I would hate to see his teacher, with a gun, and he falls and grabs the holster, and causes more of a problem. I don't know what is best to do for the kids. I do know that as a parent, my worry's have made me spend more time at the school helping out. People have suggest that I home school, but I can't shelter him from the world. As most of you who has a child that can run, hide, and get out of danger if possible. I don't, and I look at all situations about this through my sons eyes.Â
 @Just my say Special needs teachers would receive training to deal with that, you have to hedge your bets one way or the other.Â
 @NW-Economist My child spends most of his time in a normal classroom, his legs may not work that well but his brain sure does. The special needs teachers have a classroom of 12 kids, with three teachers. I don't know if you know about special needs but they are work. Everyone is different. I will not stand in the way of bringing any kind of safety to the school, but no matter how I look at it - I don't like it. I will admit I am selfish with any ideas about this. I look through the eyes of my son, and think to myself that would not work for him. It's a very touchy subject for me, when I feel lost on how to keep him safe, but also knowing I am being selfish for only thinking of him.Â
I went in for a conference yesterday at my son's middle school and was a little pleasantly surprised to see an armed Sheriff deputy in the front office, just hanging out. Apparently they frequently stop in making their presence known.
 @Tattooed_Angel Then you have a false sense of security, because if and when something happens the probability that that armed guy will be around exactly where you need him at exactly the right time in a large school building or even onsite at all is close to 0. Better to arm and train all the teachers and staff than delude yourself into thinking a single armed deputy who might visit the school once or twice a day would be able to do anything for your children.Â
@NW-Economist No false sense of security here. I would much rather see the police stop by the school and do patrols then have no presence there at all. They might not be there if a situation ever arose but at least their presence there might deter criminal behavior.
 @Tattooed_Angel That's actually a problem, because if people like you feel "better" with that fake solution, then there will be no public push to actually secure schools, and we will have to go through shooting after shooting done by these psychos who aren't fooled by it before society finally gets fed up and agrees to truly secure our children. We need to arm teachers and stop believing that police are superman who can fly faster than a speeding bullet to the scene of a crime, they can't.Â
 @NW-Economist  @Tattooed_Angel Why stop there? Just arm and train the students. More guns are always the solution.  Â
 @NW-Economist So why create a new account?Â
 @lakeview Ban? What are you smoking? You must be taking advantage of 502 already.
 @NW-Economist  Back from your KOMO ban I see?Â
 @lakeview  @Tattooed_Angel That's your response? Trolling? Meanwhile students are being killed and all you can do is snipe with sarcastic comments.
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Keep living in a dream world where criminals will all turn in their guns and never harm anyone.Â
"I don't know if that invites more antagonism," said parent Diana Dallal. "I don't like going somewhere where there is a lot of military (or) police present. That makes me feel more unsafe, I don't know why."
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Innocent people don't feel uncomfortable.
 @Smashquail "Innocent people don't feel uncomfortable."Some people who have been abused by authority figures in their life will have an irrational fear of authority. I am one of them.
 @Smashquail Part of the problem is this type of person equates guns in ANY hands as being the same.  A cop or soldier is the same as a gangbanger doing a drive by.  This is the result of too much PC crap like the idiot Superintendent in Highline.
Go overseas and see how it's done in countries that have had numerous attacks. Â I feel comfortable walking through the airport in Germany seeing armed guards or eating at McDonalds in the Philippines with the local armed guard. Â They're NOT the same as the thug that want's to kill.Â
This is pointless. They will still take minutes to respond and even if they are AT the school they might have to run from one end to the other. Better to remove the "gun free zone" from schools, arm and train teachers and staff and see if the cowardly psychos still want to travel to schools when they know there's a risk that the staff there will fight back.Â
re-energize the reserve program and add some volunteer resources
these deputies should be available for 911 calls. I already have to wait 10 min for them to show up, now it will be longer. Because I am not in school, I am not worthy? This countries obsession over children is nauseating.Â
@Northend... What did you need the police for? Routine calls (i.e. non health or life threatening are usually given lower priority).  As far as what you find nauseating..maybe some find your lack of compassion towards those in society that need protecting â¦"disturbing".
 @Seahawksman "maybe some find your lack of compassion towards those in society that need protecting â¦"disturbing"."  Or maybe, just maybe he has a better way to go about it. Maybe he hasn't realized it yet. You cannot have a solution without a want/need first. Why would you stifle that because you chose to false mind read. Do you lack patience or vision?Â
 @Seahawksman  @Glenn And i have no patience for someone who wants to invest their time in pretending they know about the person they are talking to in order to make a point. Ultimately what you end up doing destroying your own point, when you claim to know what a man is thinking, you are wrong and the points that come after are meaningless. Also, to say i am unsympathetic is treacherous, i REFUSE to back any idea i do not believe in. There is ALWAYS a better way and i'm going to strive for THAT. I am completely for protecting my children, i am not for ANOTHER "fix" that won't work. The truth is people will always do this now. Period. You can thank your government media for that one. Arm yourself, Arm the teachers, stay vigilant, stay educated, practice respect and the world changes. When is the last time we all grouped up and did a walk-about in our community? What ever happened to shame for breaking the law by the way? Maybe connecting the police/sheriff to the community like it USED to be might be a better investment of time. Posting deputies makes one thing clear, one thing we ALL agree on, don't fock with our children! But i am afraid that is all it will do in some cases.
@Glenn Gordon doesn't hide ) ....I have no patience for an unsympathetic view of a child or any member of society that needs compassion, protection or assistance. I do not "stifle" anything (so you can take your attempts to argue elsewhere) nor can I read minds (if you can...read mine now pal!).
@Northend You don't have kids, do you?
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