Green Bay Considering Adding Armed Guards To Public Schools

All Green Bay public schools may have armed security officers in their hallways in the future.

It’s a plan that is in its formative stages, Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith says. But it’s a plan the city is exploring.

Smith said he had a “back of the envelope” estimate that 40 officers plus substitutes could cost $2.5 million, and that state and federal money might be available to offset the cost. The officers would work for the police department, and ideally be retired police officers or retired military personnel.

Smith told reporters Friday that an officer would be stationed at each of the Green Bay Area Public School District’s 40 schools. Officers would wear street clothes and carry a side arm but have access to a police rifle in case an intruder were to enter a school. He is not aware of any other Wisconsin communities with armed guards stationed at every school.

“They would pull out that rifle and they would be able to match whatever firepower this person had,” Smith said, adding that he would require any security officers to have that extra training. “As you know, we already have rifles in our police cars, our officers have all been trained on how to use them.”

Smith noted there are also rifles in a select-few of Green Bay’s public schools, they are kept in a locked location, and only police officers can access them.

Since the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead, there has been a lot of talk about schools and guns. Some lawmakers, including President Donald Trump, have suggested arming teachers as a way to keep students safe.

….If a potential “sicko shooter” knows that a school has a large number of very weapons talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school. Cowards won’t go there…problem solved. Must be offensive, defense alone won’t work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 22, 2018

Smith dismissed that idea saying, “They came on the job to teach not to become gunfighters.”

A Green Bay School Board member and former principal agrees.

Edward Dorff, who is also the executive director of the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinators Association, which teaches “active-shooter avoidance” training seminars said, “If we’re going to talk about increasing the number of people who are armed and ready to respond, I’m much more comfortable with what Chief Smith is talking about.”

Dorff said the security officers should have professional experience with guns.

“I was in the Marine Corps, I was a police officer for four years, and I was a principal for most of my career and there is no way I would want to have been carrying a gun to school myself,” Dorff said.

A meeting is scheduled at Green Bay West High School for the evening of March 8. Police and school administrators said they want public input on how to best make their schools safe.

At the very least, Smith said the armed security officers would be a deterrent for would-be intruders.

“Let’s face it, if you’re a guy who’s going to break into a school and shoot little kids, you’re a coward,” Smith said. “You’re a despicable, evil coward. And cowards are afraid of police officers with guns, they won’t come in.”