Pima Sheriff Claims ‘Only Ones’ Status to Nix Arming Teachers

“Experienced – Educated – Professional”: Per “Only One” Mark Napier, he is, but you’re not and can’t be.

“Governor Ducey, in reaction to the recent school shooting in Florida, has declared the need to ‘do something’ in Arizona,” an alert from Arizona Citizens Defense League warns. “Unfortunately, his solution appears to be to resurrect proposed restrictions on your rights in bills that have already failed in the legislature. In particular, it looks like Governor Ducey will propose cherry picking bad ideas found in legislation that calls for the criminalization of the transfer of private property (your firearms) and the ability of your family members to have your firearms confiscated for ‘mental health’ reasons. All these proposals are aimed at punishing you for violent acts committed by others. None of them address the issue of why kids today feel empowered to kill their classmates.”

Their concerns are not without foundation.

“With backing of Governor Ducey, Arizona could be on verge of stricter gun laws,” AZCentral reports:

“If we can prevent it and use the power of the office and the law… that’s what we’re going to do and I intend to do it,” Ducey said during the interview on KTAR (92.3 FM). “I think we need to act in those situations.”

What they have no intention of doing is arming teachers, as Pima County Sheriff Mark Napier made clear:

“The Sheriff says he and Governor Ducey feel it’s not practical to arm teachers because they’d have to become as well trained as deputies.”

It’s fair to ask how “well trained” that is, especially since it’s the most common excuse given to disparage armed citizens and defer to the superior skills and judgment of the “Only Ones.”  Those familiar with that term know it originated with a now-“classic” video of DEA agent Lee Paige telling a classroom full of students he was “the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of,” to carry a gun, and then promptly shooting himself in the foot when he then tried to holster his sidearm.

With the understanding that no one is expecting to turn teachers into Tier 1 SMUs, what are the requirements for one of Sheriff Napier’s deputies to establish firearms competence to where they are trusted to carry a gun in public as part of their job duties?

“Commissioned members must qualify annually, at minimum, with a weapons system intended for on-duty use on a Department-approved firearms qualification course and must meet all Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training (AZ POST) firearms qualification requirements,”  Pima County Sheriff’s Department General Order 2015-003 mandates.

Once a year for “each weapon system used in an official capacity”? And  how many tries do they get?

“Members shall be allowed up to two (2) attempts to qualify on their initial qualification date. In the event of two (2) failures on the initial qualification date, the member shall be rescheduled by PRTC staff to return to the range, within five (5) business days, for an additional qualification attempt.”

OK, and what is it they get three tries to do?

Assuming we’re talking handguns, there is a revolver course you can check out, but for our purposes, let’s assume semi-automatic handguns are the more likely choice.

50 shots on TQ-19 andTQ-21 targets? Timed stages at 25 (seven rounds), 15 (12 rounds), seven (19 rounds) and three (12 rounds) yards? Shooters have to manage their ammunition and perform a few reloading/malfunction drills? “Five points for shots within the designated scoring area (center of mass or head)” and a minimum of 210 points out of 250 maximum? So basically they get three chances to get a “B” and there’s nothing to stop those with the initiative from doing as much practice as they need in advance?

Does anyone here know anyone who does not have a badge but who  is nonetheless capable of meeting these requirements? Or capable of learning how to?

As an aside, the next time some smug hoplophobe tells you citizens shouldn’t carry because police are trained, test them to see if they know what they’re talking about.

Oh, but officers get other training? And the rest of us don’t or can’t?

Isn’t this a perfect opportunity for the sheriff and the governor and the legislature and other LEO officials to help with training and community outreach to enhance “the security of a free state,” and to support the Constitution the way their oath requires them to do?

Instead of just acting like “ordinary” citizens – and teachers at that – are too ignorant, intemperate and unskilled to be trusted to keep and bear arms, and like that’s a task best left to professional “Only Ones”… ?

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David Codrea’s opinions are his own. See “Who speaks for Oath Keepers?”

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