$420,000 allocated for armed guards in Newtown

[hack89]

Source: New Haven Register

NEWTOWN — The Board of Finance voted unanimously Monday night to set aside $420,000 in the contingency fund for the coming year for 4.3 armed security positions, allowing all seven of public schools to have armed police officers or the equivalent.

The Finance Board also voted 5-1 to set aside $180,000 in the Board of Selectmen’s budget so the town’s three private schools can apply for one-time grants to also have armed security officers.

Both measures now go to the town’s Legislative Council. The council has final budget authority in Newtown, acting on recommendations from both the finance board and the Board of Selectmen.

Both votes followed comments by parents of both public and private school kids, calling for the town to do what’s necessary to ensure that there are armed officers present to protect their children in the wake of the Dec. 14 mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School



Read more: http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2013/03/12/news/doc513e99d4b2779214234736.txt

[tblue]

1. I don't like the idea but

I can't blame them. I'd want that if it was my town or my child's school.

I teach and it would honestly scare me if my coworkers were armed.

[Victor_c3]

3. Sadly, I have to agree with you on this

It is distasteful and I don't like the idea, but had something like this happened in my child's school I'd fully support it.

[kyeshinka]

2. Priorities!

Now I wonder how many extracurricular activities and programs will be cut to pay for this. There's a reason people aren't going into teaching and current teachers aren't buying homes.

[nonoyes]

4. When it comes to eduacation, $420,000 is exhorbitant,

but when it comes to weapons and people to staff them while the kids are in school, spending an additional $420,000 is JUST FINE!

$420,000, in most small towns, provides for 4-5 additional classrooms of 20-25 kids, OR art and music and drama and phys ed and instrumental instruction for 100-200 kids.

All this $420,000 spent on the most deserving of victims of a horrible national tragedy, but look what direction this takes our nation, $420,000 for non-instruction, (only for weapons and training and guarding and non-instructional personnel) and solely for the elimination of parental fear. What is the cost of this kind of "collateral damage" when one person causes so much hard with guns so freely available to his now-dead mother?

[MichiganVote]

5. This is so pointless. Secure buildings-yes. This will not stop killers.

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. slamming the house's screen door after the animals have left the barn

Or are they really concerned that Adam Lanza is going to come back and repeat his actions? I find it interesting that the actual school affected by the shooting (in relocated form, technically) is NOT covered by the proposal. One can only stare goggle-eyed sometimes at the production of well-intended hysteria.

[4bucksagallon]

7. Ef the private schools they can find their own way to finance...

if they really feel the need. Personally I don't see any need for any of this, another waste of taxpayer money, someone could hijack a bus and do as much damage as was done in the school, are we also going to arm all bus drivers or place security guards there too. There is a limit as to what one can do and prepare for.