Sheriff Joe Arpaio's school posse

[Witsec7]

This is a big WTF for me. Does anyone live in Maricopa Cty AZ? I'd loved to hear some local feedback on this.

PHOENIX - A new program aimed at keeping Valley children safe in school has parents and faculty torn on what's best for students.

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio launched a program on Monday that has armed volunteer posses patrolling Valley elementary schools.

Stevenson and Taft Elementary staff were supportive of the new program, but no one had any information as to where these people would be or even who they were.

"I was a little confused when I was in parking lot with those two gentlemen in the marked car. It sure seemed like from the uniforms they might have been regular deputies, but I'm not sure I've seen uniforms for the posse members," said Taft elementary principal Russ Heath.

"We received a phone call this morning saying they would be patrolling, but that's it. I don't know if we will get our own posse officer, or if they will be going back and forth between campuses," said Stevenson Elementary School principal Kathy Ray.

Despite the lack of information, Stevenson Elementary staff welcome the increased security. In this school year alone, the campus has been put on lockdown four times for incidents in surrounding neighborhoods.

While some parents are happy about the the posse presence, others still feel it's not enough.

"It does make me feel a little bit safer with all the stuff that goes on around here. My son is constantly on lockdown. However, I feel like they should be on foot doing something inside the school like a security guard or something," said parent Lea Block.

School principals will be meeting with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday to clear up any questions they have about the program.

ABC15 tried reaching out to the Sheriff's Office for their response to the confusion surrounding the program, but they have not gotten back to us..

Read more: http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_ph ... z2HLIodF3y

ETA: Another good link

http://www.alternet.org/americas-crazie ... na-schools

[meda]

I think the words "armed posse" and "elementary school" should not appear together in a news story, ever. WTF

[happy atheist]

So what this tells me is that nobody at the school knows what the fuck is going on, or who is supposed to be carrying a gun, so any random nutjob could show up and pretend to be part of the "posse" and get access to the school. That's fucking ridiculous.

[mirele]

I am going to make a point of NOT driving by any schools when I go to work. Given that the average "Posse" member is white, male and about 72 years old, it's not going to be long before there's an "accident". I feel so safe here NOT NOT NOT NOT.

[keen23]

Sheriff Joe is a nutjob. No doubts about it. Stevenson Elementary is in a really crappy neighborhood (bonus 19 registered sex offenders in a 3 mile radius of the school!). It's pretty ridiculous that I need to get a fingerprint card to volunteer at my child's elementary school during school hours, but this guy is allowed to post armed guards with checkered pasts at the doors. It's another Trayvon Martin just waiting to happen.

*Mirele- we totally should take in a service at Zsu's church. I don't know if I could stop myself from getting enraged for the entire thing however...

[FloraDoraDolly]

These vigilante posse types are the last people I would want carrying a gun anywhere near an elementary school.

[BravaAmica]

I'd pull my kid out of school so fast and petition the school board for a private tutor since the school environment is unsafe. Or, they can save the money and tell this idiot and his volunteers to GTFO of the schools.

[theCR]

I live in Maricopa and I have all my life and yes Arpaio is a nutter! Stevenson Elementary is actually like 5 or 6 miles from me. The area that the school is in is a very well known meth area so I cant really blame them. I dont think they need to go that far though honestly.

[mirele]

If we need to have armed people at schools, I would rather they were trained police officers or sheriff's deputies, rather than some "posse." That way, the governing authority would be responsible for them. This posse business is just asking for trouble.

ETA: The Phoenix New Times picked up on a Colbert video mocking the posse:

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valley ... ps_epi.php

[DistantStar]

If I had kids in a school where there were random "posse" people with guns...hello, homeschooling! Especially if Arpaio sent them! God only knows what they might do!

[SilverBeach]

Sheriff Joe is a nutjob. No doubts about it. Stevenson Elementary is in a really crappy neighborhood (bonus 19 registered sex offenders in a 3 mile radius of the school!). It's pretty ridiculous that I need to get a fingerprint card to volunteer at my child's elementary school during school hours, but this guy is allowed to post armed guards with checkered pasts at the doors. It's another Trayvon Martin just waiting to happen.

My daughter and her husband live in Phoenix with this nut Sheriff Joe. I love the desert and natural beauty of AZ (the Grand Canyon was almost a religious experience for me) and really want to move there when I retire, but the backward politics would drive me over the edge. My daugher and son-in-law vote against the craziness whenever they can. Turning schools into armed encampments is not the solution.

[SilverBeach]

So what this tells me is that nobody at the school knows what the fuck is going on, or who is supposed to be carrying a gun, so any random nutjob could show up and pretend to be part of the "posse" and get access to the school. That's fucking ridiculous.

ITA, what could they possibly be thinking? :x

[lilith]

A posse of armed citizens who don't seem to have law enforcement backgrounds or even any mandatory training, in primary schools in a troubled neighbourhood, where not even the school staff seem to know who is or isn't authorised to be armed? What could possibly go wrong?

This is insane, especially to someone like me who lives in a society where regular citizens are never allowed to wander around armed in public places.

[Wolfie]

So what this tells me is that nobody at the school knows what the fuck is going on, or who is supposed to be carrying a gun, so any random nutjob could show up and pretend to be part of the "posse" and get access to the school. That's fucking ridiculous.

This.

I have no issues with WELL TRAINED armed guards on campus, but they must be well trained and able to deal with it actually being a school. And they should not be required, and they also should not double as teachers.

But this? sounds seriously unorganized- what sort of training, who are these people? What background checks? What is their actual duty? and they really need to talk to the schools. Something like this could be okay, but not how this is going. This is just a catastrophe waiting to happen.

[RosyDaisy]

Armed posses in elementary schools are tragedies waiting to happen. Why can't people see that?

[Sola]

I thought I recognised the name. Its the same nutjub that used public money to run his Obama birther campaign.

Well nothing could ever go wrong with a school posse could it.

[Lynn18]

I don't see how this is helpful at all. How can the students learn if they are constantly at a Code Red?

Code Red at our schools can mean there is someone with a gun/shooter in our vicinity.

[Austin]

I keep hearing about the wisdom of putting "good people with guns" in schools from the gun people. Armed police officers are one thing, and a whole different subject, but "good people"? Really? Like George Zimmerman?

Most of the people I know with a concealed carry permit are a bit nutty. Purely anecdotal, but it's the truth. I wouldn't trust most the judgment of most of them to pick out produce, let alone be tasked with "protecting" my children or schoolteacher husband in a school setting. Or anyone, anywhere.

(I suspect I know people with concealed carry permits who are not nutty and do not advertise that they could carry a weapon.)