School Police Officers in Compton, CA Will Guard Campuses with Semi-Automatic Rifles
School classrooms in Compton, California will be guarded with AR-15 semiautomatic rifles.
Over the summer, school board officials approved a new, more aggressive policy to policing schools that allows school police who pass a screening to carry AR-15 rifles in their patrol cars while they are working, according to KPCC radio.
Five other California schools allow for such weapons on campus, according to the Compton School Police Officers group.
"This is our objective—save lives, bottom line," Compton Unified Police Chief William Wu told the board, according to KPCC.
Wu also stated that the AR-15 rifles were chosen for their precision, as they can be used in the face of a "masked intruder" or "terrorist," as the perpetrators in such cases often wear body armor that is impervious to routine weapons.
The Compton School Police Officers debated the issue with the Compton Democratic Club on Facebook, saying they “are not planning to attack the Galaxy of Teachers and Students” with the AR-15 rifle, reports the Latino Post.
“If we encounter an active mass murderer on campus with a rifle or body armor, our officers may not adequately be prepared to stop that suspect,” the message said. “School Police Officers will undergo a training course, followed by a shooting proficiency test on a firing range and a written exam… The safety of our Students, Staff, and Parents are very important to us.”
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