Think of this as one of the first cracks in the dam. If you’ve been watching the constant drone of tragedy TV all weekend, pretty much all you’ve heard is the clamor throughout the land for more gun control. But Chief Tim Fitch who runs the St. Louis County PD sees the problem a little differently. As far as he’s concerned, more laws won’t save the life of a single student. Or mall walker. As he told stlouis.cbslocal.com, “If there’s somebody that’s really hellbent on doing something like this, they’re not going to care what the law is.” Fitch’s solution: end the policies that give whack-jobs like James Holmes and Adam Lanza the comfort of knowing they’re walking into gun-free, target-rich environments . . .
Chief Fitch wants to arm teachers and school administrative personnel. He likens it to arming pilots after 9/11.
“I see it no differently,” he said. “Pilots have been armed now for many many years, we’ve not had another hijacking and the issue is, for the bad guy, he doesn’t know which airplane he’s getting on, if the pilot is armed or not.”
Fitch knows he has a tough row to hoe in advocating putting guns in schools. The question is why that should be. How many more children have to die because people are squeamish about having armed, trained personnel on hand, in the schools who can react to an active shooter (or, God forbid, terrorist) situation faster than the police ever could.
So along with the anguished cries for a national conversation about guns (read: more gun control laws) more voices like Chief Fitch’s — people who understand that, in a world where guns area a reality, no matter how many laws our legislators can muster, they won’t stop a determined psycho — will begin to filter through the noise.
As John Lott told National Review’s John Fund,
“With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns.”
Wonder why that is.
Which St. Louis county? I happen to be in one of them.
He encompasses all of St. Louis County! You might be in one of the cities located in St. Louis County, like Bridgeton or Ladue, but his control is only in the unincorporated parts.
A web search shows at least two St Louis counties in the US…
It’s a fair question, but Bing found that he is from Missouri.
http://www.stlouisco.com/LawandPublicSafety/PoliceDepartment/AboutUs/ChiefTimFitch
Thanks Derek, didn’t realize there are two, assumed (and yes I know, but in this case the A$$ was me) he was asking about St. Louis County, MO. Doh!
A voice of reason, finally. My offer to jump thru the hoops and serve as a volunteer armed school guard still stands. I’m sure that every community in America has people that would gladly donate their time and firearms for no more cost than tweaking the laws a little to allow us and cover the liability.
That makes too much sense. If we get any armed security in the schools it’ll be another TSA style federal boondoggle that’ll cost billions and create a whole new agency.
I never thought of it that way but you are right. I was thinking along the lines of parents volunteering or perhaps local law enforcement but if Obama sees a way to spend another trillion dollars he’ll jump all over that Im sure.
I was talking with some guys at my folks church yesterday about a volunteer guard system for the pre school that is ran their when some of the church board members let me know that all three ministers carry firearms as part of their job duties and had for years made me fill a lot better about my nieces safety
I think the fact that you’re volunteering to do it for free automatically disqualifies you. If you want it done the right way (the government way), it has to be done by some guy who’s always whining about his pay, benefits and retirement not being generous enough to compensate him for his heroism and bravery, and then you have to join a union and demand that the American taxpayer show you their gratitude with greater tributes.
I’m right here in St. Louis County Missouri, and support just what Chief Fitch says. I have talked to a couple teachers and found that they do have carry permits but can’t at school. It is time. Time to arm people who are in position to help our kids should the need arise.
My wife works in the front office and has her CWP. Several teachers in the school have one including one who took the class with my wife. How long until they begin to carry in secret I wonder. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission especially where your life and those of defenseless children are concerned.
it isn’t illegal for people with missouri ccw endorsement to carry a gun in school zones nor in schools it is however an a unathorized area meaning they can tell you you cannot carry there, and have to give you a chance to leave or take your gun elsewhere. If you refuse to leave then they can get the authority there. Me personally like the whole CONCEAL part of the law…..if your carrying no one should know in the first place. The only time my gun isn’t on me is in a federal building or if I have to walk through a metal detector.I’m a missouri resident too.
As a St. Louis City and County resident I’m 100% behind the comments of Chief Fitch. The solution to this problem is to unbind the hands of good people with the right to carry firearms and to meet the Lanza’s of the world with guns in hand. The St. Louis Riverfront Times Blog (http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/) has been awash in anti-gun agit-prop since Friday with many taking a solid stance for gun rights and ending the myth of the gun free zone.
same here – resident and very proud of the chief!
St. Peters myself, but grew up in Bridgeton…bet you’ll never hear Mayor Slay or the new Police Chief of St. Louis City ever make that statement.
Insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Maybe try something new?
Good! I’m starting to see on the Internet a few diverse calls by politicians, cops, and others to arm teachers. A politician called for it in Oregon only to have two school administrators shoot down his suggestion. The long term effect of the shooting on school security will be interesting.
I’ve often read that America’s schools are bastions of liberal thinking with guns and gun owners being openly despised by the teachers and administrators. Most teachers in public schools, especially grade schools, are women. It has only been during the last five to ten years (or less) that many American women have been opening-up to recognizing guns as valid and good to own self-defense tools when used the right way. I’m not sure if this will positively influence the acceptance or not for adults to be armed to defend the schools in the near future.
A politician called for it in Oregon only to have two school administrators shoot down his suggestion.
No pun intended, I’m sure. Heh.
Great comment, and I’m also looking forward to seeing incremental changes to no-guns policies in schools, and hopefully seeing adoption of those changes accelerate over time.
Interesting, but it looks as though Texas is more serious:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,404721,00.html#ixzz2FFj6wRzB
Thanks for the links.
It’s the same thing all over again.
These stories are more than four (4) years old and what impact have they had? Have any other Texas school districts followed? Not that I can find.
I wonder how many here even knew of this before today.( I know many live in Texas.)
I didn’t.
From my research most think this happened yesterday. Only a very few notice the date.
Still it’s resurfaced due to the Sandy Hook shootings. Maby this time it will garner more interest.
Oh my God! Finally, someone thinking out of the box and looking for a solution. I hope this gets legs.
Beautiful, they’ll be more, Randy
A solid man for sure. Good job Chief!
I believe we’re going to see more and more professionals in law enforcement and military who are willing to go on the record as being in favor of allowing civilians the ability to defend themselves in so-called “gun free” zones.
Great… for teachers. But what about us healthcare workers? All CPZs need to disappears.
But like Dan said, this may be the first cracks in the dam.
Finally. Some people are starting to think straight!
They’re pushing for it in oklahoma too.
Bless that cop.
Just read that a school dist. in Texas pass something to arm teachers. i like this cops thinking. To bad it has to come to this.
Last week, twenty little children were involuntarily murdered by left-wing ‘people-controllers’ with their anti-gun gun-free-zone rules. Hopefully, born out of the past several days of darkness, the common-sense act to arm school personal will spread to protect America’s school children.
Can’t help myself: is anyone ever voluntarily murdered?
suicide by cop?
That’s one to think about. It’s definitely homicide, but since they often threaten the cop, it often ends up being ruled a justified killing, and therefore not an illegal act, such as manslaughter or murder.
We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect different results. Violent criminals are ignoring the law. More restrictive laws have proven to be a foolish, counter-productive exercise in futility. “Gun free zones” provide easy access to helpless victims. That must stop. We must think differently. We must change tactics. Disarming the victims created the problem in the first place! The legitimate threat of return fire from the intended victims when warranted, is the only solution which has not been tried and the only one which can work because it does not continue to rely on the erroneous and childish assumption that the “bad guy” will do “the right thing”.
Chief Fitch is ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!! Finally someone is willing to do the right thing. As Concealed Carry Permits increase, the crime rate goes down. Criminals prefer unarmed victims, and they love “Gun Free Zones.” I think I may want to move to St. Louis County…..
Same here in Ohio.
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/Sheriffs-Its-Time-To-Put-Guns-In-Schools/9nZkwHCDdU-f1srVrCIbQQ.cspx
Lot of common sense going around these days!
Well, Sheriff Rodenberg didn’t say he supports teachers or others carrying in schools, but at least he acknowledges that we have a mental health problem, not a gun problem.
Apparently they took the page down….
finaly someone with a good head on there shoulders
I think this is a case of stating the obvious, although it seems not so obvious to some..
I wonder if CalGuns will help me start a fund to relocate Chief Fitch here so he can run for Alameda County Sheriff. Because that would be the best election EVER.
AG, you’re rapidly becoming my favorite liberal. Alameda county could use some common sense.
Damn right they could!
Can’t wait for Alameda to come into the CalGuns crosshairs. I will gladly volunteer to be the test case for shall-issue LTC, and boy howdy will I make a good test case. Son of a decorated federal & state LEO, squeaky-clean record, family man, valued contributor to the community, etc ad nauseam. Also: multiple gun-involved killings, in public, within a mile of my house in the last few years.
Besides, after the last week I’m pretty sure the only way more people in my city could know I’m an outspoken gun rights proponent would be to (a) take out an ad in the Mercury News, or (b) shoot someone in a legit DGU.
Sell all public schools to private institutions. Repeal all taxes that fund schools. Let parents home school or send children to private schools. If you choose to send your children to a private school, you can pick one that arms the teachers or has parents/relatives that provide security. In high schools you can teach the older/mature students to do the same. This will not only resolve the problem of free fire zones we currently have but will give us better education of our children and teachers and schools will have to earn their money by producing well taught students. No government solution to a govt. created problem and it will cost less. A lot less. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9PEqmpGK9k
This
@ jwm,
I also still stand too by my volunteering in our local schools!! Our county PD is only 15 officers for all shifts county wide.
Yea we are a small county but still not enough officers to do the job. And since the County Officials can’t get their head out of their ass the PD budget got cut $122,000 for the coming year. Officers are already buying their own vests, ammo and uniforms, don’t know how the heck they can continue like that based on their salary!!
“If there’s somebody that’s really hellbent on doing something like this, they’re not going to care what the law is.”
An actual real world law enforcement official says the above quoted.
A man in a suit being guarded by other suits that are heavily armed says wait for the good guys.
Questions?
Wow, a law enforcement official who’s actually in contact with the real world. I also liked what he had to say about mental health services. It would be helpful if some of these people could get their problems addressed before they got to these extremes. Like he says though, when you’re at the point of dealing with a shooting, someone has to be able to take action immediately, and that means someone at the scene has to be armed and ready to go.
For those of you that are old enough and lived in the rural community should remember taking your guns to school. We did have to keep them in our lockers. Than we could go hunting right after school, or to target practice That lasted until about 1964 and up to that time there was not one reportable indecent that I can remember.
I Israel in 1974 there was also a school shooting ( Ma’alot massacre). Israel’s response was for volunteers and school officials to be armed….. NOT cower from guns.
Below is an article discussing (for the parents) an analysis of what to do. I believe that we need to arm the school teachers/volunteers. Specific training and ongoing training required.
http://www.activeresponsetraining.net/parents-guide#comments
I have sent this link to my children to read for my grandchildren’s safety. I would volunteer in a heart beat and pay for my weapon/ammo/training my self. NO cost to the school system.