SROs And Keeping Utah Schools Safe

School Resource Officers -- you know, the policemen embedded in local middle and high schools -- have tough jobs. They befriend kids and integrate themselves into these young people's lives, but may be forced someday to arrest or (heaven forbid) even shoot these same kids.

In a post on social media, St. George Police Department sent out special note to these SROs: "School Resource Officers (SROs) wear many hats, playing a crucial role in the schools they serve. They are role models, protectors, and friends to our students, and their presence makes a world of difference.

"Let's take a moment to express our gratitude to our SROs for their dedication and commitment to creating a safe and supportive environment for our children. Thank you for everything you do!"

The worst-case scenario for any SRO would have to be a school-shooting situation.

Now, most people who know me know that I believe in the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms in the United States of America.

I cringe when I hear of mass shootings, most of which I believe could have been prevented or at least mitigated by the presence of an armed citizen.

I've always believed that "bad guy with a gun" should be afraid of "good guy with a gun" to the point that said bad guy won't carry out what is in his evil mind.

School shootings are the most egregious of these mass shootings, with innocent children being gunned down by cowardly perpetrators. If only the teacher had been armed and trained. If only the school had an armed officer or two to stop these horrible acts.

But Grady Judd, the sheriff of Polk County in Florida, had a message to any potential school shooter in his county.

“If you come to a school in this county, armed, we’re going to do our best through either our guardians, our school resource officers, or our school resource deputy sheriffs to eliminate the threat outside of the school before they ever get to the children. We’re trained to do that.”

Judd then held up a picture of two armed police officers, with rifles pointed at the camera, and said:

"This is the last thing you'll see before we put a bullet through your head if you're trying to hurt our children. We are going to shoot you GRAVEYARD DEAD."

Judd made it crystal clear. You won't be kind of dead, or mostly dead (with a nod to Miracle Max) or even just dead dead.

Nope, Judd says slowly and emphatically: "GRAVE-YARD DEAD."

That's defined as "A death so extreme that there is no attempt made at saving your life or even checking your pulse."

That's the message any potential violent criminal needs to get through their thick head throughout Utah and the rest of the United States.

Hopefully our SROs never have to face that situation, but I guarantee they know the meaning of Graveyard Dead.