Feinstein and Babeu on School SecurityWhere would you place your trust when it comes to the security of your child’s school?  An expert in politics or law enforcement?

Senator Feinstein has reacted to the Sandy Hook massacre with her proposed comprehensive gun control law package to be introduced in January while Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu proposes a change in the “safe school zone” laws to allow for school administrators and designated teachers to be armed to initially defend against any violent attack on their school. Sheriff Babeu also supports assigning a deputy or police officer in every school as proposed by the NRA.  

Which one makes the most sense to you?  First proposal is Senator Feintein’s

Stopping the spread of deadly assault weapons

 Following is a summary of the 2013 legislation:

  • Bans the sale, transfer, importation, or manufacturing of:
    • 120 specifically-named firearms;
    • Certain other semiautomatic rifles, handguns, shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and have one or more military characteristics; and
    • Semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.
  • Strengthens the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban and various state bans by:Bans large-capacity ammunition feeding devices capable of accepting more than 10 rounds. 
    • Moving from a 2-characteristic test to a 1-characteristic test;
    • Eliminating the easy-to-remove bayonet mounts and flash suppressors from the characteristics test; and
    • Banning firearms with “thumbhole stocks” and “bullet buttons” to address attempts to “work around” prior bans.
  • Protects legitimate hunters and the rights of existing gun owners by:
    • Grandfathering weapons legally possessed on the date of enactment;
    • Exempting over 900 specifically-named weapons used for hunting or sporting purposes; and
    • Exempting antique, manually-operated, and permanently disabled weapons.
  • Requires that grandfathered weapons be registered under the National Firearms Act, to include:
    • Background check of owner and any transferee;
    • Type and serial number of the firearm;
    • Positive identification, including photograph and fingerprint;
    • Certification from local law enforcement of identity and that possession would not violate State or local law; and
    • Dedicated funding for ATF to implement registration.

A pdf of the bill summary is available here.

More information on Senator Feinstein’s website supporting her upcoming legislation to be introduced in the new congress

 Sheriff Paul Babeu’s plan

Train and Arm School Administrators and Designated Teachers

Pinal County, Ariz –Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu proposes a change in the “safe school zone” laws to allow for school administrators and designated teachers to be armed to initially defend against any violent attack on their school. Sheriff Babeu also supports assigning a deputy or police officer in every school as proposed by the NRA.

Sheriff Babeu said, “Much the same way that commercial airline pilots have been trained and armed to defend their aircraft, school administrators and designated teachers would be trained by local law enforcement and armed to protect themselves, other staff and their students. Administrators and teachers are highly educated, they know their schools and love the children. Past efforts to protect innocent children and our schools have resulted in making them more vulnerable and more alluring as targets for mass killings. Restrictive gun laws, or even trying to take guns away from millions of law abiding citizens is unconstitutional and will NOT stop this violence. The immediate reality for every law enforcement leader is how do we best protect our schools, which are not fully protected and are not as safe as they should be in order to be called “safe school zones?”

Sheriff Babeu continued, “The NRA is correct, we need a Cop in every school. We also need to train and arm school administrators and designated teachers to protect themselves and our school children. Even with an officer on campus, some of these schools are quite large. The officer can’t be everywhere on campus and having trained and armed administrators and designated teachers could help limit and contain the active shooter. The Deputy or Police Officer should not simply provide armed security, yet should be a School Resource Officer (SRO). SRO’s are carefully selected officers who are trained to teach classes, mentor students, building positive relationships with students and staff and are one of the best defenses against an active shooter in a school.” 

In response to calls for new gun laws, Sheriff Babeu said, “We have a people problem, not a gun problem. The reality is there will be little if any change in gun laws, which is not the solution anyway. We have over 20,000 laws and regulations on firearms, yet none of them prevented these mass killings. Criminals, mentally ill mass killers and terrorists do not follow current law and they certainly will not follow any future laws.” Sadly, there is a long history of school shootings in our nation and the “safe school zone act” of 1990 and 1995 have provided mass killers an even more alluring target of unarmed children, teachers and staff. http://www.k12academics.com/school-shootings/history-school-shootings-united-states

Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 defines a school zone as the area “in, or on the grounds of… or within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private [elementary or secondary] school.” 

These mass killers have not shown any inclination to go where defenders with guns may be present. They target safe school zones, movie theaters, college campuses, malls and even military bases. Where ever there are areas where guns are not allowed, the laws abiding good citizens are unarmed and in fact, become ecomemagnets and even sitting targets for any evil mass killers. Even the victims at Ft. Hood were trained with firearms, yet were unarmed during the duty day. That means that they did NOT have any guns with them and the only soldiers that carried that day were the police and the Islamic terrorist, just like any other gun-free zone.

In response to the 9-11 attacks, the TSA was created, the Federal Air Marshals program expanded and deployed on most international and many domestic flights and pilots were also trained and armed to defend their aircraft and passengers. Our school children and staff must also be protected by amending the “Gun-Free Safe School Zones” to allow for armed administrators/designated teachers and to deploy an SRO in every school.