Right or Wrong? Police Allow Kids to Handle SWAT Guns

[Liberal_in_LA]

image of kid handling swat gun at link below

A police department in Northern California is coming under fire for allowing children to handle SWAT weapons at a local festival.

The Press Democrat reports that photos show the Santa Rosa police department allowing kids to pick up and aim fully automatic assault rifles and riot guns that were lying on a table near a SWAT vehicle.

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Santa Rosa City Councilwoman Marsha Vas Dupre said she was “alarmed and devastated” by the photos, and questioned why police would allow it.

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/guns/right-or-wrong-police-allow-kids-handle-swat-guns

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. No big deal... Professional supervision and I'm sure they were unloaded.

No more harmful than airsoft lookalikes, albeit quite a bit heavier. I'm sure if parents ojected then they could steer their kids clear of the "alarming and devastating" devices at that venue. (LOL)

[Blue_Tires]

2. fwiw years ago, the USS Kitty Hawk had an open house

and let kids handle unloaded sidearms and rifles along with other toys...The only time I've ever had an M-16 in my hand...

[slackmaster]

5. I went on a U.S. Navy Tiger Cruise from Pearl Harbor to San Diego once

The Navy and Marines allowed kids as young as eight years of age to not only handle but fire live ammunition through weapons ranging from the 9 mm Beretta sidearm through the 25 mm automatic cannon on a Light Armored Vehicle. Everyone especially enjoyed the rapid-fire M249 Squad Automatic Weapon and the classic M2 Browning Machine Gun.

It was a lot of fun!

[lpbk2713]

9. Was that perhaps the episode of "Carrier" that was on PBS?

I know there have been many.

I really enjoyed that mini-series when it aired on PBS a few years ago.

I don't recall offhand which carrier it was.

[slackmaster]

10. Mine was a 12-day LSD trip, man

The USS Fort Fisher, LSD 40; the ship was decommissioned in 1998.

[Lex1775]

3. I don't see the problem...

If the weapons were not loaded and you had a cop standing right there supervising. Just because the kids picked up a rifle that is hardly "promoting violence". I'd bet a good dollar amount that most of those kids have played/owned some kind of FPS. The kid in the second photograph looks like he is already familiar with basic firearms handling as it is.

[MineralMan]

4. Other. As long as the weapons were carefully safed,

it's up to the kids' parents. I'm 100% certain they were triple-checked before being put out for handling. I'm equally certain someone was closely supervising this.

Non-issue. Any parent could keep his or her children away. Firearms exist.

[BigGovtFan]

6. great way to get kinds to learn about guns, while in a safe environment!

[librechik]

7. right if nobody found out, wrong if somebody got shot.

Just sayin.

[Morning Dew]

8. alarmed and devastated?

Not me - but it is kinda dumb if you believe in treating every firearm as if it's loaded.

[backscatter712]

11. Under proper supervision, and as long as the weapons were safed and unloaded, I'd be OK with it.

Granted, I'm not a fan of the glorification of military-style stormtrooper policing, or indoctrinating kids in that sort of thing, but aside from that, I'd say it's up to the officers showing the weapons and the kids' parents to determine what's appropriate for them.

[marions ghost]

12. Reno 911

...just stupid.