So, for starters, the U.S. Department of Education has ordered 27 Remington short-barreled shotguns.
Man! When I was once drafted in the third grade to be hall monitor, I wasn't given any crowd-control equipment at all.
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One of the commenters at Ex-Urban League dug into the matter a bit; it's interesting to see how the Department of Education IG has law enforcement authority, and that their Chicago office needs close combat firearms.
Maybe one of the street gangs in Chicago will bid on the contract.
Interesting. Employees of the Inspector General's Office (most federal agencies have one; we got our first IG a couple of years ago) are, indeed, law enforcement officers, but they'r mainly charged with the responsibility of investigating waste and abuse. Hard to see how that would justify the need for shotguns at the Dept. of Education (except for the example of Chicago, as you indicate).
Why, exactly, is the Department of Education arming itself? I find it hard to believe that they're arming teachers (even those in inner city eduwarehouses).
Pure speculation here, Rebecca, but if that IG needs to enter some schools for official reasons, they may well need those street sweepers, because the gangs claim the building as their own.
This happened quite a bit when I lived in that not-so-fair city, lo these many years ago. Back then, Cabrini Green (a housing development) was a genuine battle zone (might still be today, for all that I know); unrented apartments were generally occupied by gangers, and the police had to enter those with extreme caution, weapons drawn.
Besides, the teachers might be armed there. Ignore the fact that Illinois law forbids the carry of firearms by other than law enforcement officers; everyone else does.
Oops! Your question was general....again, speculating (but only a little), but it's an over-reaction by a bureaucratic system unused to this line of thought.
"Gee, we have cops with badges! But no guns. Hey, we need to buy some guns....."
At least it's not a purchase at the national level.
BTW, don't be surprised to read some news story about DoE losing some shotguns in Chicago in the future.....if there's one thing that gang bangers love, it's weapons left unsecured. I'd bet 3:1 that office will have one of those shotguns lost or stolen in the next 3 years.
I base this on my professional experience in the Illinois National Guard. Who may have learned a thing or two since I last drilled with them.
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