History of Marriott-Slaterville City Volume XVI January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

4A Thursday, October 22, 2015 Se STANDARD EXAMINER Brandon Erlacher Publisher Gregory Hailing, Executive Editor Karla Woodward, Marketing Director Scott Parkinson, At-large Editorial Board member Doug Gibson, Managing Editor, Print Dennis Kunimura, At-large Editorial Board member OUR VIEW Weber County charter schools need resource officers A 15-year-old student at Venture Academy in ^harriott^ Slaterville had plans, two friends said. Big plans — a drive-by shooting at his own school. His friends reportedly helped • with the logistics. They obtained bullets, an ammunition clip, a knife and razor blades. They might've gotten away with it, except another student heard about their plans and notified school officials. That student is a hero. But it shouldn't take a courageous teenager to keep Venture Academy safe. Or, for that matter, any Weber County charter school. Charter schools here don't work with the sheriff's department to arrange security, Lt. Shane Findley told Standard-Examiner reporter Loretta Park. Venture Academy doesn't employ a school resource officer. Neither do the other charters. Unlike the Weber School District, which contracts with the sheriff's office, Venture Academy relies on calling patrol officers in emergencies. And that puts students at risk. Because sometimes, police need to act quickly to protect student safety. Luckily, officers had time at Ven ture Academy. But what if a similar threat develops at another charter school? What if students plan thoroughly enough to obtain more than just bullets and a clip? What if they show up with guns? A resource officer stands a better chance of hearing about it before the shooting starts. And if the worst happens, an officer already at the school can intervene immediately. Sheriff's officers continue to investigate Monday's events at Venture Academy. Parents of the main suspect invoked the child's Miranda rights, Findley said, so investigators could not quickly question the boy. "We have a lot of unanswered questions, like where is the gun, what was the time frame," Findlay said. But parents who send their children to Weber County charter schools don't need to wait for the results of a criminal investigation. They should demand that their schools hire resource officers — now. Not everyone is as brave as the student who told school officials about the plot to shoot up Venture Academy. And we shouldn't have to rely on the courage of teenagers to keep our children safe at school.