Letter to the Editor: It Is Time to Lock Down Our Schools

To all,
 
I have no words to describe what my family is feeling at this dark time in life, for us it is as if the clock has been turned back 6 1/2 years. 
 
When I made a very simple request for a Stop Sign it was for one reason only, to see that no other parent & family shares our pain and our path of life from that point on. The City of Rye chose to roll the dice against my beliefs, this gamble nearly put another Rye family into our dark circle as another 10yr old boy was struck down in the same very location where our son Jarrid was killed.
 
At this very dark time in our Nation's life I ask you to set precedence, to be the leader in School Security, set the pace for all other School Districts in our humble Nation, show them the way!!!
 
It is time to lock our Schools down, set NEW Policy and ENFORCE it. Schools, ESPECIALLY Elementary Schools are suppose to be a safe haven for the children, not a shooting range for the mentally ill!!!
We need metal detection at EVERY MAIN ENTRANCE of EVERY SCHOOL!!!
 
Every School in Rye should only have access thru the MAIN DOORS and only with the proper I.D., all other doors should have Security Codes that only Faculty has access to. All Faculty, no one left out, should be given a more thorough background check, not just on themselves but also on their extended family members.
 
Think About It......When School is out, except for maybe the Janitors the schools are empty and when the last Adult leaves the buildings the Schools ARE LOCKED DOWN...So, we lock our EMPTY Schools down at night while the children are safely sleeping at home but in the day time we allow the mentally ill access to our Schools which are full of children to do as they wish????
 
What makes you think this UNTHINKABLE ACT OF VIOLENCE can't happen here or any other community other than Newton,Ct???
 
I CALL UPON US TO ACT NOW!!!

Thank you,
 
Jim Amico

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Editor's Note: Amico notes that he is aware that Newton Elementary had all this in place that he proposes we do here in Rye, but here in Rye we should at least start off with locking doors.