Reward Money Helps Keeps Guns Out of TN Schools

Josey1

Reward Money Helps Keeps Guns Out of Schools Email story to a friend Reward Money Keeps Guns Out of Schools A Metro student brought a gun to school, but a cash reward prompted a fellow student to turn him in. Cold, hard cash: it's working to help keep weapons off school grounds. Tuesday night, one student was arrested, and a fellow student was rewarded. Officer Donald Black patrols the halls of White's Creek High on a mission to keep the school safe. He catches a lot, but the officer admitted he couldn't do it without help from the students. "I'm only one person, and we have 800 to 900 kids here. So that's 800 to 900 people working to help me," said Black. On Tuesday, a 17-year-old boy was arrested for having a gun in his car. The tip came from another student who will get $500 as a reward. "That gun could have been the gun that killed anyone's kid here. We don't know what that gun was for." The reward money is part of a program designed to keep guns out of local schools. Kids who turn their peers in remain anonymous and have the satisfaction of knowing they may have prevented a tragedy. "It's a difference between being a snitch and a difference between protecting your school. If you're gonna tell on someone that has a gun, you should do it because it's the right thing to do," said high school senior Trae Clark. "You don't put anything past anybody anymore." Police and school leaders told News 2 the reward program is making a huge difference. In the 93-94 year, 38 guns were found at Metro schools. In 94-95, after the program was started, the number of guns dropped to 10. So far this year, five guns have been found. "95 percent of our kids are good kids, and they care about their safety, so they report it." Officer Black is proud of the students who help him fight crime. He said it's better to take a stand than be sorry later. "We don't know if the kid was going to use it or not, but it's not on the streets. It's one less gun we have to worry about." 65 students have collected $500 since the reward program was started. http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=643085

idsman75

I think it all depends upon what the gun was intended for. If a kid lives out in the country and plans on doing some squirrel hunting after school and is of legal age to own and possess a firearm (and hunt alone), then I think he should be allowed to have his .22 in his trunk. Hell, plenty of schools out there would have safes in the principle's office back in the day so that you could take your rifle or shotgun to school during deer season and have the principle store it for you.

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SSG idsman75, U.S. ARMY