Armed Police Coming to Gloucester Twp. Schools?
Officials reportedly explore the idea of putting armed police officers in Gloucester Township's K-8 schools.
Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer and Police Chief W. Harry Earle met with local education officials Monday night to discuss security upgrades, including the possibility of adding armed police officers to K-8 schools, according to officials.
Mayer and Earle did not attend Monday's Township Council meeting, instead attending the school security session.
The security meeting was called in the wake of the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, CT, in which a lone gunman killed 26 people, including 20 young students.
"Has there been a discussion with Gloucester Township school board about an armed officer in their schools?" Erial resident Tom Crone asked Council.
"That's what they're doing tonight," Council President Glen Bianchini responded.
Crone, the founder of conservative watchdog group South Jersey Citizens, applauded the idea of an armed police presence for Gloucester Township Public Schools (GTPS) before asking Council where the plan stood as of Monday night.
"We haven't been briefed by the mayor or by the chief. Until that, I would say let's not get into it," Bianchini said.
Earle did not rule out the possibility of placing police officers inside GTPS school buildings in the immediate aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary massacre.
The local district has eight K-5 schools and three middle schools. It remains unclear whether each school would be guarded by an armed police officer under the proposal.
Black Horse Pike Regional School District has had armed police officers in its three schools—a Gloucester Township police officer at both Highland and Timber Creek and a Runnemede police officer at Triton—for several years now.
Towns across the nation have responded to the Sandy Hook mass shooting by placing armed guards in their school buildings. On Dec. 21, the National Rifle Association called on Congress to fund armed police officers for every school in the country.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," said Wayne LaPierre, NRA chief executive officer.
Two towns in New Jersey have already added police officers to their schools following the Connecticut tragedy.
Marlboro, Monmouth County, added an armed police officer to each of its nine schools beginning Jan. 2. Totowa, Passaic County, also placed armed police officers in its two elementary schools.
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Zorayda
8:03 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Armed security acts as a deterrent to would-be killers. Please go ahead with this protection for our children!
Vincent C
8:23 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I am for it. Protect our children. They deserve to be safe
Darren Gladden
8:46 am on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
wAKE UP PEOPLE ............Arm people in our Schools.......SMH .. Did we not have an officer have her gun taken away ..............Just live in fear peeps
Support for Cops
1:27 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Wake Up? Darren WTF are you talking about, how about you tell the parents of the 26 lost inside an ELEMENTRY school that its a bad idea. Lets see, as a parent and a first responder myself I would love to see an armed Cop in every school. If a cop was inside Sandy Hook we wouldnt be having this convo but instead praising the Cop for helping stop such a tragity. So if have to pay an extra $5.00 a year in taxes for Cops to be in a school then so be it, better yet charge me $10.00 and I will pay your share since you obviously are against it and have such better ideas
Cherie
1:45 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Armed policeman have been in the 3 high schools for several years. They absolutely should be in the elementary schools too. I agree with Support for Cops. I would gladly pay more in taxes to have our children safe instead living in fear as Darren suggests we do.
Darren Gladden
1:47 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Hey Support For Cops ....Get a
Clue and Become a MAN a and State your name that Right you CSBAFSN .........Get a clue I will not have my Kids live in a Police State ........Thank you and Have a nice Day ....PS anything you say behind a Fake screen Name means Nothing .......Become someone and STATE your Name that the American Way ....WinJob
Darren Gladden
1:53 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Yea they are Really doing a great Job in the High School .......Wake up were was the Cop with the teachers hooking up with kids thanks Cherie now can u state your Whole name More cops is not going to make it safer .........OMG you people are so Hood wink get away from the TV and Drive down the street and hit some pot holes and when your doing that take a walk around the Schools were we teacher our youth and see them falling apart ........PS hey we Also need cops at every Kids sp.orting Events and are we going to also Have cops in our charter schools and Cathlioc schools .....Looks like taxes will go up again ......SMH .....Say what you like about me ......But I'm just keeping it real
Support for Cops
2:06 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Touché Darren, Tell me what’s your solution then since you seem to know it all, let’s see we can put buzzers on the doors so no one can get in, Oh wait Sandy Hook had that and the shooter shot out the glass to gain entry. Maybe we can have sound proof rooms so when guns are being shot in the schools the kids can’t hear them so they don’t have to live in fear. So please tell us your solutions, I don’t know about the rest of the readers but I know I can’t wait to read your solutions. ...Winning
Darren Gladden
10:41 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Know it aLL ...."Really " don't Know everything there Mate but I know I'm a real man that can stand by what he has to say Hey Look to the Right he even can put up a Picture to ......Winning "Really " I did not know we were keeping score there "SIR" I DON'T think rising kids is a GAME "SIR" I "SIR' think it's an Honor from GOD . Now winning SIR , I think we are all losing ..SMH .
Joe Kearney
2:14 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Darren most of the time I agree with a lot you say but... There's always a but, I think this is a good idea. We do need a armed police officer at all the schools as a first line of defense. As far as teachers sleeping with students I think that the police did a good job with that as soon as it all surfaced most of that did not even happen in the school right? As for the schools falling apart? I think we have some schools that need repair they did several projects through the summer, I do think current school board and The fill in Superintendent need to be thrown out, but we are not doing that bad as far as things go. Sure things need improvement but what town don't ? My name is Joe Kearney from Glendora
Darren Gladden
10:47 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Hey Joe understand but sometimes we http://youtu.be/p8_FOQ7-P30 and that okay
Joe Kearney
10:23 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Darren I love that song! lmao!!
Zorayda
2:39 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
No, Darren, don't have your kids live in a police state but have them killed. Deny them protection so they can be easy targets.
Darren Gladden
10:48 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I see why you use a Fake name ..........SMH
Joe
2:49 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
If it's good enough for Obama and his kids it's certainly good enough for my kids.
Better to have them than not. I've seen them in our schools, no problem. The kids have no problem with it.
SJ Birds Fan
2:53 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I guess Chucky Cheese would be required to have an armed guard also.
Paul J. DiBartolo
6:26 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
You don't comment often but when you do it's completely non-nonsensical. Thanks for remaining constant in a changing world.
Zorayda
3:03 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
I couldn't have said it better - read this article:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/15/mothers-case-for-gun-rights/?intcmp=HPBucket
Zorayda
3:04 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
SJ Birds Fan - why not? Do you really want your kids unprotected?
Schu
4:44 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Good idea the BOE adopted rom the NRA. Thank gun owners for this idea.
Julia Donahue
5:08 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
While not against the idea, I cannot wait to see how many Patch commenters will be "beefing" --as always-- about their high taxes being wasted or some conspiracy theory behind the idea....agree with the comment that we are (yet again) being controlled by the NRA, who obviously cares NOTHING about our children. Today they marketed an "app" for children ages 4+ to "target practice" with an assault weapon.......hey, maybe they can donate the officer's salaries with the profits from their new "toy line"??????
Paul J. DiBartolo
6:28 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
>> NRA, who obviously cares NOTHING about our children.
Not as obvious as the comments that come out of your mouth. You help to give all teachers a bad name.
Darren Gladden
10:49 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Damn we need to get you a Lady friend Paul you are on da attack all da time "Relax"
Paul J. DiBartolo
9:45 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
For your info, Darren, that was a response. The attack already took place when Julia trashed all NRA members by informing us that if you're NRA you don't care about children as if nobody in the NRA has a family that they care about. In the past Julia has prided herself in these pages for her objectivity. So much for objectivity; emotion will rule the day.
Darren Gladden
1:22 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Relax we all must start coming together ansd stop with the silly name calling , That get's nothing done Just ask Stachie
Lou
9:11 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
We already have them in the high schools, and I am all for them being the elementary schools as well.
SJ Birds Fan
8:40 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
My take - I believe High Schools have guards to prevent kids from hurting other kids and or teachers. Much less chance of that with say 8 year olds.
Darren Gladden
10:33 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Okay Patch peeps I like how we are talking about this Issue "GOOD" ........To live by the sword is to die by the sword .... Understand You all but you must understand is this what I feel not what we all feel . DO I feel there is better ways "yes I do "......I will speak my mind ... I say WE need a CITIZENS ADVISORY board TO DISCUSS issues such as this in an OPEN and Honest Manner. The board shouldnot be a government Entity but HONEST and engaged citizens interested in our COMMUNITY . ......Please http://youtu.be/RkZC7sqImaM Just care , I do...Peace out Peeps
Paul J. DiBartolo
9:40 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Okay, a "citizens advisory" board sounds like a good idea. Do I think it will happen? It doesn't seem like the current GT administration is too interested in hearing what the citizens have to say unless it's in complete agreement with what council has already decided.
I am willing to support your idea, Darren, so keep me informed if you think you can get any interest in the idea.
Darren Gladden
1:26 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Let you know Paul BUT people live in FEAR and are to scared 2 talk
Joe Kearney
10:26 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I'm also all in for this "Citizens Advisory Board Idea" Let me know how I can help!
Blackwood resident
1:06 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Eureka!, We hire 1 police officer for every three people in the state, or 1 in every home. That way, my kids will be protected all the time, no matter where they are. It would only cost about 13Trill$$ a year, er, 26Trill$$ to allow for bureaucracy.
OR, here's a novel idea never before explored anywhere in the world, we allow citizens to defend themselves and there property!
Rich
7:34 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Police in schools is not a deterent. Nothing is when you have a person, for whatever reason, is bent on destroying people lives. I like what the NY paper did and posted all of the gun carrying homes. With that knowledge, then the neighborhood can question the wisdom of giving a gun permit to the person/s to the authorities. Heck there are some GT cops I wouldn't trust with a gun and not because they are accident prone. This is just another family member getting a job in GT. There are a lot other ways in improving school security then having another gun on the school grounds. Thank god the police department got a quater of a million dollar vehicle so they play games with during their downtime. Can't wait for the property taxes to go up again and again and again. Teachers, police, public officials have to realize GT is not a rich society. Its the public employees who have the better salary while most residents wages have been reduced if not laid-off. Go ahead mayor, spend more money so the residents can not afford a decent life.