Arpaio plans to use armed volunteer ‘posse’ to patrol local schools

[phantom power]

Of course he does

I keep hoping he'll die of old age soon, mostly because his ego is too massive for him to ever retire.

Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio said he plans to send members of his department’s volunteer “posse” to patrol schools as a response to the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

“Everybody else is talking about what their ideas are. They want new laws,” the Maricopa County sheriff told KPNX-TV on Thursday. “This is immediate. I don’t need a new law to send out my posse.”

Arpaio said his plan, which he hopes to put into effect next week, would have volunteers providing security at 50 schools that fall under his jurisdiction. According to the station, the group of about 3,000 members includes 300 to 400 allowed to carry weapons following 100 hours of training and background checks identical to the kind actual members of his department undergo. They also wear similar uniforms and drive Sheriff’s Department vehicles while on duty.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/28/arpaio-plans-to-use-armed-volunteer-posse-to-patrol-local-schools/

[Skittles]

1. George Zimmermans in a school zone

I cannot think of anything that could possibly go wrong

[doc03]

2. They also need an armed guard on each school bus. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. I really can't conceive of what could go wrong here

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

4. I'm pretty sure there is a federal gun free zone.

I think it's like 1000 feet or something (don't quote me) where a non-public service employee (ie: cop) can't carry a gun. In our (ohio's) concealed pistol carry courses, they taught us this and the only exception is pretty much if your picking up someone or dropping someone off at a school - you basically have to stay in the car and cannot enter the school.

[NYC_SKP]

5. Home School. nt

[Thinkingabout]

6. How interesting, Arpaio wants to use armed guards to protect the kids in schools.

He does not care about the backlog of sexual abuse cases but put the armed guards in schools, you can see who he is trying to protect. The sex perverts are welcome in his district. He is sick.

[DirkGently]

7. What could possibly go wrong.

Get him juuust a little closer to the equator, and it would be Generalissimo Arpaio, Sheriff For Life.

[jmowreader]

8. This, IIRC, is the same posse...

...who Arpaio used county funds to send to Hawaii investigating the president's birth certificate.

[Earth_First]

9. Someone opposed to this, please sue...

Hopefully a lawyer sympathetic to parents who are not willing to militarize their schools will take this up pro bono and sue.

Not sure on what grounds yet, however anything to delay action while the situation is litigated, the better...