Crime

Bill Allowing Oklahoma Teachers To Carry Guns Without Special Training Advances

OKLAHOMA EAGLE — A bill that would allow teachers and other school staff to carry guns without special training advances to the Senate floor. Right now, school personnel can carry guns concealed on campus if they have the permission of their districts; if they have completed CLEET training and possess a valid armed security guard license or hold a valid reserve peace officer certification. This bill would reduce those requirements to just having a districts permission, and a valid weapons permit.

Published

5 years ago

April 29, 2019

Oakland Post

By Aaron Brilbeck

OKLAHOMA CITY – A bill that would allow teachers and other school staff to carry guns without special training advances to the Senate floor.

Right now, school personnel can carry guns concealed on campus if they have the permission of their districts; if they have completed CLEET training and possess a valid armed security guard license or hold a valid reserve peace officer certification. This bill would reduce those requirements to just having a districts permission, and a valid weapons permit.

“We have too many kids right now that are unguarded, unprotected, they’re sitting ducks if somebody walks in,” said Senator David Bullard (R) Durant, who fielded questions from his colleagues about whether arming staff would make schools more dangerous, and who would be responsible should someone get hurt.

“Am I reading this right that they are not liable for any injury that they might inflict?” asked Senator J.J. Dossett (D) Owasso.

Reading from the bill, Bullard replied, “And upon acting in good faith shall be immune from civil and criminal liability. So yes, they would be immune from that.”

Senator Carri Hicks (D) Oklahoma City said, “My biggest concerns are that ultimately this does reduce the amount of training or requirements that we currently have in place.”

The group Moms Demand Action has concerns about reducing the minimum training standards too.

“It’s an 8-hour minimum training. When we were here for the permitless carry debate, they talked over and over about how that training is worthless. If it’s worthless and we’re requiring less that is not a good argument for keeping our kids safe in schools,” said Cacky Poarch with Moms Demand Action.

Don Spencer with the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association said, “It’s like driving a school bus. You don’t just give that to anybody to do. The school board is going to make sure they’ve got people that are qualified to handle and do exactly that.”

Bullard added, “The idea is to give those local school boards the options of how to do that. We talk about local school control all the time. And we are just allowing the to do that to protect their kids at their school. We have too many who are not protected now.”

The bill already passed in the House of Representatives and now heads for the Senate Floor. If it passes there, it goes to the governor.

This article originally appeared in the Oklahoma Eagle.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

4 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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California Black Media

Anti-Theft Bill with Jail-Time Requirement Gets Wide Ranging Support

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24. Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

San Bernardino Police Chief Darren Goodman speaks as Asm. James Ramos (D-San Bernardino), left, stands beside him at a news conference in Sacramento concerning retail theft across the state.

By California Black Media

Fed up with the alarming frequency of retail theft across California, including smash and grabs, a diverse group of business leaders, law enforcement officials, policymakers and public safety advocates joined their efforts in Sacramento on Jan. 24.

Their purpose: to increase public support for Assembly Bill (AB) 1772, a bill that would make jail time mandatory for repeat theft offenders.

Co-authored by Assemblymembers James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) and Devon Mathis (R-Tulare), AB 1772 would require jail time “of one to three years for theft crimes depending upon the circumstances.

“Offenses would include grand theft, theft from an elder or dependent adult, theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, carjacking, robbery, receiving stolen property, shoplifting or mail theft,” the bill language reads.

Ramos said the need to act is urgent.

“It’s time for us to reverse the spikes in theft crimes since the pandemic. Our law enforcement members and district attorneys need additional tools such as AB 1772. We must reverse the trend before the problem grows worse. Last year I requested a state audit of the impact of Prop 47 on Riverside and San Bernardino counties,” said Ramos.

Prop 47 is the California initiative, approved by voters in 2014, that reclassified some felonies to misdemeanors and raised the minimum amount for most misdemeanor thefts from $400 to $950.

According to a Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the rate of occurrence of petty crimes like shoplifting and commercial burglaries have increased by double digits over the last four years.

In Orange County alone, commercial burglaries have spiked by 54%.

“Our communities are experiencing an increase in retail crime and deserve appropriate action from their legislators,” Valencia said.

San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus thanked Ramos.

“This bill, designed to impose stricter penalties on serial retail theft suspects, responds urgently to the escalating consequences of shoplifting and related crimes on our communities,” he said.

AB 1772 supporters who spoke at the gathering included Sacramento Sheriff Jim Cooper and San Bernardino Chief of Police Darren Goodman. Listed as supporters are the California State Sheriff’s Association, City of Riverside Police Chief Larry Gonzalez and Redlands Chamber of Commerce.