The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has taken a decisive step in the wake of a false alarm that had sent hundreds of students packing from two Catholic high schools in March 2023. The diocese formed its own armed police force, hiring Wendell Hissrich, a veteran lawman with a rich background in safety and security, to lead the charge.
Hissrich had previously served as the city’s safety director and the FBI’s unit chief for the Pittsburgh area. Since taking the helm, he has added 15 officers and four supervisors to his team, many of whom are retired officers and state troopers. The revamped force is tasked with ensuring the safety of 39 Catholic schools and dozens of churches in the region.
The decision to arm and train police officers to secure schools is a contentious issue, with some arguing it’s a necessary step in the face of gun violence, while others see it as a misguided approach. The debate has been sharpened by a recent FBI report that found over half of U.S. firearm deaths are, in fact, suicides, and another study that found Black children are 100 times as likely as white children to experience firearm assaults.
To address these concerns, the diocese has implemented robust safety measures, including armed officers, Stop the Bleed kits, cameras, and defibrillators. Hissrich and his team have also stressed the importance of de-escalation techniques and viewing schools as a special assignment.
The diocese is not alone in its pursuit of safety. In Georgia, a teenager stands accused of shooting his way through his high school, killing two students and two teachers. In Pittsburgh, top public school system North Allegheny has also moved to retool its response to gun violence, arming its own police department with 13 officers to patrol its 12 school buildings.
The debate about police in schools has heated up in recent years, with some districts opting to reduce or eliminate their school resource officers in response to concerns about racial bias. However, with the backdrop of mass shootings and alarming statistics, there is renewed interest in the role police can play in keeping students safe.
The value of having police in schools is not without controversy, and the recent federal review of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas has raised questions about whether school police officers were too slow to respond. Moreover, the indictment of a school police chief for allegedly abandoning and endangering students has added to the heated debate.
As the push for safety and security intensifies, experts like Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers, point out that most schools are not likely to face mass shootings, but administrators should still prepare for the possibility. “They have to think, ‘It could happen here, and how do I prevent it?'” Canady said.
In conclusion, the diocese’s decision to create its own armed police force is a bold step, but it is also clear that the debate about policing in schools is far from settled. As the US grapples with gun violence and the role of police in keeping students safe, it is essential to critically examine the data and arguments on both sides of this contentious issue.
FAQs:
Q: Why has the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh created its own armed police force?
A: The diocese formed the force in response to a false alarm that sent students packing from two Catholic high schools in March 2023.
Q: Is arming police officers with guns a necessary step to ensure school safety?
A: The debate is ongoing, with some arguing that it’s a necessary measure, while others see it as a misguided approach.
Q: What measures are being taken to address the concerns about racial bias and police brutality?
A: The diocese has stressed the importance of de-escalation techniques and ensuring that officers are trained on racial bias and police brutality.
Q: How widespread is the practice of having police officers in schools across the US?
A: The practice varies widely by district, with some choosing to reduce or eliminate school resource officers, while others, like North Allegheny, have opted for a more robust approach to safety.