Sheriff Joe Arpaio started the program after a Connecticut elementary school shooting which left 26 dead shocking the nation and sparking a national debate about school safety.
Around that same time, there were a number of situations involving potential school violence in Maricopa County.
On December 20, 2012, a 16-yr-old female student at Red Mountain High School in Mesa was arrested after deputies uncovered a plot to gun down schoolmates and then kill herself.
On January 23, 2013, a 5th grade student at Frank elementary in Guadalupe was arrested for making threats to stab another student and was found to have a knife in his backpack while on school grounds.
On February 6, 2013, a 16-yr-old male student was arrested by Sheriff’s deputies for carrying a loaded weapon on a school bus and campus after allegedly making threats against a fellow student at Dysart High School in Youngtown.
The totality of these events prompted the Sheriff to order his qualified armed posse volunteers and reserve deputies to work and keep a watchful eye on the areas around each school looking for any suspicion us activity, at least until a state or national plan was instituted to keep schools safe from gun violence.
Such plans have yet to be announced.
“In typical government fashion,” Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio says, “there has been only talk about securing our schools with additional law enforcement presence both inside and outside our nation’s schools. Very little applicable action has occurred. Until such time, I’d like my posse to do what it can to be that additional law enforcement presence needed to keep our school aged children out of harm’s way.”
While his qualified armed posse volunteers are already well trained to handle emergency situations, Arpaio says that school shootings pose unique circumstances which require more mission specific training modalities. Another training has been scheduled.
Armed posse members underwent a simulated school shooting inside the Queen Creek High School located at 22149 East Ocotillo Road, Queen Creek 85142.
Using about 25 instructors, many from the sheriff’s SWAT division, volunteers learned operating procedures on how to handle one, two and three shooter scenarios as well as room entry tactics and hand to hand combat.
