Give school police guns


PTA president would like to see security tightened

By JASMIN BONIMY,Guardian Staff Reporter Jasmin@nasguard.com

Parents want armed police in government-run schools to clampdown on violent behavior and beef up security, it was claimed yesterday.

Dwight Rolle, a Parents Teachers Association president, said armed officers would also give parents 'peace of mind' when their children are at school.

"In today's society you get people who consider themselves to be lawless [and] somebody has to take the law into their hands," Rolle, the C C Sweeting Junior High School PTA president, explained. "I think the police should have resources to protect themselves if they are there to protect students.

"Police drive around armed everyday," he continued. "They are armed for the benefit of our kids so that we can sit down at work knowing the environment our kids are in is totally protected.

Another parent, who wished to remain anonymous, said that having armed officers protecting children would be crucial in reducing the number of violent crimes at government-run schools.

"Last school year it seemed like violence was at an all-time high," said the parent. "Every other month it seemed like there was violence in schools. What has to be done is that officers need to be armed to prevent these things from happening."

In January a group of young men jumped the R.M. Bailey Senior High fence and started wielding cutlasses after an angry parent was thrown off the school's grounds.

In April a fight broke out at the C C Sweeting Junior High School between a male student and a teacher.

That same month a 15-year-old C V Bethel student was stabbed to death during a brawl a few yards away from the school.

"These kind of incidents make you realise that something needs to be done," said the parent.

But despite some parents wanting armed officers guarding their children, the school policing programme's coordinator, Chief Superintendent Juanita Colebrooke, told The Guardian yesterday that was not on the agenda.

"We're not going in the schools armed. That's not regular," she said. "I had a workshop with officers and spelled out that they would not be wearing firearms on the school's premises."

Chief Supt. Colebrooke argued that arming police would give students at government-run schools the wrong impression.

"We don't really want to be seen walking around the school campus like we came for action," she said. "We want to [say] to the students that we are their friends. "If they have a problem they can come to us. We don't want to be armed."

Chief Supt. Colebrooke added that officers were specifically stationed at schools to prevent violence from erupting.

"We're focused on preventing problems from happening, that's our motto," she said. "If we can prevent before something happens, that is what we're there for."

Trying to ease parents' fears, she added that unarmed officers were effectively guarding the schools. But she admitted that if a situation "got out of hand" then officers would not hesitate in calling for back-up.

"If there is a situation that is out of hand and that they cannot handle, then we can call for support from another unit that is armed," she said. "If a person comes for trouble then officers would radio in and patrol cars would respond in a matter of minutes."

According to Chief Supt. Colebrooke, the school policing programme was implemented on September 5 and it runs at 12 government high schools on the islands of New Providence, Grand Bahama, and Abaco. Ministries of National Security, Education and Social Services helped put the new initiative into action.

:jawdroop: the very thought of this is terrifying! is it really SO bad? how could parents want armed police patrolling schools where their 14 and 15 year olds spend most of their time? what message does that send to the pupils? i think this is not the solution, it extends the problem. to rectify the situation, we need to get to the root...or not?

it really IS that bad, right now, you can go around village road roundabout, marathon road/mall area, etc. when school is getting out, and see why more security is needed. Ive already witnessed so many fights and rock throwing, its not funny any more. But they can place the cops in the school, but what happens outside of the school, thats also a problem, I havent seen ONE single cop yet ... when these kids are coming out of school, at least at village road round about .. for one they take over burger king the secu there cant do anything, well he cant even speak english so it doesnt help .. :jawdroop:

Cussing, swearing, fighting, rock throwing ... probably knive swinging I havent seen yet ..

it really IS that bad, right now, you can go around village road roundabout, marathon road/mall area, etc. when school is getting out, and see why more security is needed. Ive already witnessed so many fights and rock throwing, its not funny any more. But they can place the cops in the school, but what happens outside of the school, thats also a problem, I havent seen ONE single cop yet ... when these kids are coming out of school, at least at village road round about .. for one they take over burger king the secu there cant do anything, well he cant even speak english so it doesnt help .. :jawdroop:

Cussing, swearing, fighting, rock throwing ... probably knive swinging I havent seen yet ..

yeah i went to kingsway...and even back then village road used to be scene...we used to even have LW Young people coming to fight with the 'wannabe bad *** KA boys'. very scaary stuff. but can you imagine armed police on campus? one fight between students would end up in a shoot-out with police...i can imagine the headines...police accidentally shoot wrong pupil! whats the deal with the govt though? what methods are they using to solve these issues? issues of illiteracy, crime in high schools, etc? according to this article, there were numerous incidents last year...so what are the propsals to avoid this activity this year? or do the politicians simply not care, becaseu St. Andrews is in a farout, 'safe neighbourood'...(hehehe mine by the way!)...i mean besides St. A...dont they send their kids to bording schools in Switzerland and Canada? is it really a situation of them not giving a damn?

Yep I just dont think they give a damb .. and yep, armed cops in schools here could be a dangerous mix foe real ... though i just have this view of the school cop swingin the bamboo cane at the student with the knife! LOL.. One of those inspectors in the beige uniforms .. i mean with the number of kids at the village rd roundabout when school gets out, you'd think the cops would at least show some presence, not just there, other places also .. i just wonder how long they can play dominos for .. :rolleyes:

Where dose this parth lead? ( really we need to look at the usa as it is; not the image that it projects on the world {distingush the image from reality}, since this is the model we are following) As we blindly imitate the usa, we should look at what has happen there, and welcome our fate?/. Unless there is some change at the societal level ( deep cultural level) these problems will only escalade, we rally need to stop as a people ( cut all the foolishness out that we continue to do on a daily base) and have a day( call it mandatory thinking day) a year may be a 100 years and think about where we are, where we have been and where we need to go?( a great teacher can be measured by the influence on the students s/he teach, when you thought i was not listening jhc, always a tribute)

The problem in a nutshell...parenting, or the lack of it. :cop:

Yep I just dont think they give a damb .. and yep, armed cops in schools here could be a dangerous mix foe real ... though i just have this view of the school cop swingin the bamboo cane at the student with the knife! LOL.. One of those inspectors in the beige uniforms .. i mean with the number of kids at the village rd roundabout when school gets out, you'd think the cops would at least show some presence, not just there, other places also .. i just wonder how long they can play dominos for .. :rolleyes:


LOL @ Rory
But here is a little truth for ya, (and this is NOT POLITICAL)
I am a serving member of the police force and i have seen a trend developing with this new gov. They call upon the police to manage everything , i mean look at the urban renewal project, this is a project that should be run by social services, enviromental health and dept of statistics. But it is run by the police, We now have a school patrol unit there go a few more officers, in the next few months will be a TOURIST patrol unit a few more officers. Now please remember that we still have officers on foot patrol, fire dept,mobile patrol,watching MPs home (something introduced in the old plp days and was dismatle in the reign of the fnm but has sinced been reinstated) all airports and seaports, courts,magistrates and judges home, and all police stations and that is just in Nassau.
Let me give yall a break down on how bad it is. In the 90s i was working in mobile patrol, on a given night we use to put out 12 police cars per shift to patrol nassau and PI, each car had 2 people per car, On a good day we had 14 cars on the road. Our problems then was cars. Now on a good day they put out 4 cars. The problem is now just reverse they have cars but no man power. I am a manager in the force and was looking for staff for a few months well and i just cant find them.
So in closing Rory i agree with you if we can get them from by these project office and by these MP homes we can make them stop playing dominos. :cop: :

The problem in a nutshell...parenting, or the lack of it. :cop:

lynette: yes this is one of the problems where are these parents and grandparents? What is so sad is that we do not see where this would lead, just look at the united states of america and see where the escalation in arms have lead to is this what we want? As a society we are so resisitant against using our minds to think.

i am just shocked and mortified that folks actually think placing armed officers on school grounds is a good idea. those same parents advocating for this will be the ones making noise when a innocent student is killed by a stray bullet. I SAY NO TO GUNS IN SCHOOLS. what a assinine idea.

as bas as the USA is they dont have armed cops patrolling the schools or need mini police stations.

this is definatly a sign of social deterioration and something needs to be done.

i am just shocked and mortified that folks actually think placing armed officers on school grounds is a good idea. those same parents advocating for this will be the ones making noise when a innocent student is killed by a stray bullet. I SAY NO TO GUNS IN SCHOOLS. what a assinine idea.
as bas as the USA is they dont have armed cops patrolling the schools or need mini police stations.
this is definatly a sign of social deterioration and something needs to be done.

To all my comrades, my hippie peeps, the seventh generation, flip mode squad, and the non critical thinking block heads (and you know who you are as, I have called you out many times): Namaste: It’s amazing what a forty day and night fast from the internet will do, I return and find I am agreeing with Bahamaboy, yes the idea of armed police in schools is an assinie idea.

To all my comrades, my hippie peeps, the seventh generation, flip mode squad, and the non critical thinking block heads (and you know who you are as, I have called you out many times): Namaste: It’s amazing what a forty day and night fast from the internet will do, I return and find I am agreeing with Bahamaboy, yes the idea of armed police in schools is an assinie idea.

And so what do you propose as a solution? If these kids are willing to _attack a police officer_ and their parents are willing to _attack the principal of the school_ these are dire times indeed.

The violence in the schools has exceeeded crisis levels. Sure, there would have been a time when it could have been fixed by mentoring programs, after school activities, better disciplinary plans, etc. Now, however, it is too late. Time to fight fire with fire. The teachers just aren't safe without armed guards to protect them.

I along with other officers patrolled CR Walker as a police officer on the bicycle unit in '99. We never shoot any innocent kids. Our armed presence changed the school for the better. Before we came there there were students coming to school with guns, knives, shorties (cutlasses), and numerous other weapons. There were fights every day. Students were jumping the fence and leaving school during the day to have sex and smoke dope. Teachers couldn't rule them because they knew the students were dangerous.
When we started stationing ourselves at the schools all that changed. We went into the neighbour hoods and apprehended students and brought them back to school or the station to be punished. That stopped the fence jumping. Our armed presence let the bad apples know that we in fact came for action. As a result there was no action. They didn't need the police as Friends, they have enough friends most of whom have guns. They needed stern officers ready for any situaion. First they respected us then they got to know us.
Alot of students join gangs for protection. If they need help they can't run to a flashlight cop for help and wait for him to call for help.
They Knew that when we were there that the neighbourhood drug boys and there fellow class mates with weapons would think twice before they troubled them. The principle and teachers thanked us everyday for our presence- finally they felt safe.
What image do you send when you have unequiped officers at the schools: you are telling the students that they are on their own to deal with the school and neighbourhood thugs. You are telling them that their only hope is to seek protection by joining gangs armed and able to protect them.
Police officers are/should be trained to know when to use a fire arm. It is very unlikely that an officer with shoot into a crown of stuents. But it is very likely that a reckless thug with no one to challenge him will.

LOL @ Rory
But here is a little truth for ya, (and this is NOT POLITICAL)
I am a serving member of the police force and i have seen a trend developing with this new gov. They call upon the police to manage everything , i mean look at the urban renewal project, this is a project that should be run by social services, enviromental health and dept of statistics. But it is run by the police, We now have a school patrol unit there go a few more officers, in the next few months will be a TOURIST patrol unit a few more officers. Now please remember that we still have officers on foot patrol, fire dept,mobile patrol,watching MPs home (something introduced in the old plp days and was dismatle in the reign of the fnm but has sinced been reinstated) all airports and seaports, courts,magistrates and judges home, and all police stations and that is just in Nassau.
Let me give yall a break down on how bad it is. In the 90s i was working in mobile patrol, on a given night we use to put out 12 police cars per shift to patrol nassau and PI, each car had 2 people per car, On a good day we had 14 cars on the road. Our problems then was cars. Now on a good day they put out 4 cars. The problem is now just reverse they have cars but no man power. I am a manager in the force and was looking for staff for a few months well and i just cant find them.
So in closing Rory i agree with you if we can get them from by these project office and by these MP homes we can make them stop playing dominos. :cop: :







I feel your pain. I always thought that the Police force was strained and after reading what you just said, the RBPF sources are grossly exhausted. Here's how I always felt about any country, and our country in particular.

I'm an avid football fan, and although football is just a game, there are teaching and theories that you can apply to everyday life, even to business and management. The rule is: The best offence is a good defence! And what I'm getting at is our very own DEFENCE FORCE.

The Defence Force for years has been deprived, neglected, and *left for dead* in my opinion. And how can that be w/ a country who has been struggling w/ illegal immigration problems for decades????? Inexcusable! With that said, I feel that the Defence force is not utilzed enough in the daily operation in the Bahamas. The Defence force should have been larger (in terms of numbers) than the Police force, and have more resources than the Police force because of their sq. area of coverage. Now with that said, if you look at any other country where their seems to be civil unrest, guess who they call? Their MILITARY! Look at Jamaica, do you see George Bush riding around with NYPD or Broward Countys' Sheriff Dept.?? No!

My point is this: The Nassau Village riot should have been swampped w/ defence force officers because they deal w/ military tatics. And I feel that you can mobilze the Defence force to aid the Police force in bringing order within the country borders. But the Defence force is more depleted than the Police force.

Sickining!

And so what do you propose as a solution? If these kids are willing to _attack a police officer_ and their parents are willing to _attack the principal of the school_ these are dire times indeed.
The violence in the schools has exceeeded crisis levels. Sure, there would have been a time when it could have been fixed by mentoring programs, after school activities, better disciplinary plans, etc. Now, however, it is too late. Time to fight fire with fire. The teachers just aren't safe without armed guards to protect them.



To: Joe Baboon, my granola bar crunching, tree hugging, dirt worshipping hippies standing strong together, those critical thinkers who from time to time visit this place, non thinking block heads you know who you are, and the seventh generation namaste, a Hindi word meaning I honor the place in you where the universe resides the place of peace of love of truth of justice and when you are there and I am there we are one.


At first I was going to dismiss this policy of armed police in schools as simply stupid idea, but once I began to reflect on it, and dwell deeper into exactly what this action means I had to respond again. I had to go back and revisit the concept of the seventh generation (see the book Wisdom keepers) the seventh generation as taught by the Iroquois people states that one should look at the sons and daughters coming behind, them, and their sons and daughters, even to the seventh generation, then looking forward and seeing that we are all seventh generation. As a seventh generation we are stewards of the earth and we leave the world entrusted to us in a better condition than the one we receive.

How counter seventh generation thinking this placing of arm policed in school is. They are our children. They are not enemy combatants. This is not an occupational zone. It is a school. This is a deep pathological symptom, when a society views its children as enemies of the state and must be watched by arm guards, we well as might place up chain link fence guard dogs guard towers, metal detectors, steel bars in each class, this is the natural progression of this idea. Are these the ideas and practices that will take us to the mythical develop nation status? Are these the ideas and practices that show great leadership? I wonder what happen to the parents and the grand parents the aunts and the uncles, the cousin the immediate family and the extended family, the neighbors. This placing of armed police in schools mean that all these units that make up a society are failing, dose it not make more sense to strengthen these units. Unless we really sit down and think about are actions we will always come up with suboptimal plans? As a country and we are not alone in this we have a habit of finding the most assine policies and then we pat our selves on the back as if to say aint it great.


What is the solution, I have already hinted at it, our country like all country are made up of smaller social units, this is why critical thinking is so important, this is why they don’t teach it in school or at the university level as well, because if we thought critically we would be another country instead of celebrating are incompetence, but I digress for a moment. But families, parents grand parents, aunties uncles neighborhoods, this is where are energy should be directed, these are the units that must be brought back to working order. Here are the units where a codes of conduct (the matrix of a culture I am going to pursue this concept in future post) come from, this is where I learnt, I never needed any armed police in school, I was not perfect, nor were my class mates perfect, but we had a codes of conduct that was instilled in us by family and reinforce by the various layers of the society, but even back then you could see as society was tending towards Americanization how these practices were not being preserved.