Safer Schools May Mean Tasers, Part 2

As part of his pro-active approach, Don Homer, security chief for the Pennsylvania school district, told school board members and local residents, “We have to think of the future.” He cited incidents which occurred outside of the schools and pointed out that what has been happening on the streets is creeping into America’s schools. “It’s possible that similar incidents could make it into the schools,” he added. He believes Tasers are a step in the right direction.

Homer stated that two school police officers are now trained and certified to have and operate Tasers. As a trained Taser instructor since 2000, he made it clear that he would only issue a Taser to school police, not to untrained school security employees. Before someone is certified to operate a Taser, he must know the level of discomfort he could inflict on someone. That means he must be Tased as part of the training process.

In addition to safety concerns, and the fear of possible lawsuits, meeting attendees cited the cost of training officers in addition to the price of the Tasers. The three Taser C2 non lethal weapons alone will set the district back about $2,500.

“I think this is what we need,” Homer said. “I’d rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”