The thought of Guilford County school board member Deena Hayes policing anyone is downright scary:
“I don’t feel comfortable with the police policing themselves,” said board member Deena Hayes.
Hayes asked that the school board consider creating a review process to review incidents involving school resource officers using Tasers against students.
Hayes also said she wanted the committee to have subpoena power to force officers to attend the reviews.
Meanwhile, concern over the Greensboro Police Department having Tasers in schools —- and not telling anyone— much less the school board —— continues:
While it may be reassuring that (Greensboro Police Chief Tim) Bellamy’s officers have received extensive Taser training and follow strict guidelines on their use, the public and the schools had a right to know of their presence. Waiting until a student gets zapped is too late.
Keeping order on school campuses is no easy task. Local law enforcement agencies should have the final say in how it’s done, including the best tools to use.
Tasers certainly is preferable to the deadly force of firearms. And if sheriff’s deputies already deploy them in the schools they patrol, why wouldn’t city police? But at the very least school administrators and the public deserve to know.
This is the second N&R editorial stating that law enforcement officers should have the “final say” when keeping order in schools, but only if it’s OK with the school board. Problem is they’re mutually exclusive goals.