Group Of Nutley Parents Wants Armed Guards In Schools

NUTLEY, NJ — Some parents and community members in Nutley are calling for officials to consider placing armed guards and metal detectors in the district’s schools. The requests come in the wake of a Nutley Police Department investigation into a gun-related Instagram video post made last week.

Nutley authorities continue their probe of the incident, which forced the closure of schools in the district on Feb. 16 and set off a daisy chain of security checks, event re-locations and counseling efforts. (Read more about local school officials’ latest efforts below)

The Instagram video, posted on Feb. 15, allegedly contains photos of teenagers appearing to shoot a handgun and a rifle at a firing range. It shows Nutley High School and unidentified children in a classroom, and is set to the song “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People, which includes the lyrics, “You'd better run, better run, outrun my gun,” NJ.com reported.

A Nutley High School student told his parents about the post, kicking off the police investigation, NJ.com stated.

• See related article: Nutley Schools Closed Because Of Security Threat

The Nutley police investigation came just days after a tragic mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that claimed the lives of 17 people and injured several others.

• See related article: Accused Parkland Shooter Charged With 17 Counts Of Murder

Schools Superintendent Julie Glazer issued the following statement about the incident on Friday:

“At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, the district administration became aware of a video circulating on social media. The video and its surrounding commentary were viewed to present a possible security risk to our students and staff. Nutley police immediately began their investigation and the individuals involved were identified. They have been cooperating with law enforcement. Please know that today, in addition to the ongoing police investigation, there was a security check of NHS and JHWMS by the Nutley Police Department, in conjunction with the Essex County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit. The Nutley Police Department also conducted security checks of all our public elementary schools in town. These checks were conducted as a precaution to ensure the safety of the schools.”

Glazer added:

“As a district, we have a security plan in place. We hold regular drills, in each building for various types of emergency situations, in conjunction with the Nutley police and fire personnel. In addition, our comprehensive staff training, including training of all substitute teachers, provides a strong level of preparedness. Although we cannot share details of these procedures without compromising safety, you can be confident that the security of our students and staff is our top priority.”

Many Nutley residents said that officials’ responses gave them a sense of security and were appropriate.

• “Job well done! Thank you for having the best interests of our children first above all. We appreciate and applaud the alertness and precautionary measures executed over the past 48 hours.”
• “We are all safe let us thank the school board for making the right decision. Too many of these occurrences are passed off as nothing and wind up being something. I am glad we are all siding on caution and protecting our schools.”
• “Rather be safe than sorry. I applaud this decision.”

However, some Nutley parents want more done.

As students prepare to return to class after winter break on Monday, Feb. 26, a small group of parents reached out to municipal and school officials with a request to put armed guards and metal detectors in the district’s schools.

NorthJersey.com posted part of Nutley parent Erica Zarro’s email to Glazer, Mayor Joseph Scarpelli and Public Safety Commissioner Alphonse Petracco.

“Our children are our most precious ‘belongings’ that we entrust in the school district on a daily basis… It begs the question of why we do not consider having armed guards in our schools, such as a retired police officer or retired veteran with a carrying permit… Even having an unarmed guard or metal detectors would be a better solution than nothing.”

Nutley Commissioner Steven Rogers – the head of the New Jersey Trump 2020 team – said on Twitter he wasn’t opposed to the idea of putting armed guards in the nation’s schools.

“There is no logical reason to oppose putting well trained police officers (Ret-Military) in schools across the country,” Rogers wrote Monday. “Instead of worrying about the image of cops in schools, worry about the image of blood stained floors in schools. Be pro-active not just re-active.”

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page.

Nutley isn’t the only Essex County school district to encounter a suspected threat in the wake of the Parkland shooting.

Last weekend, a student at Bloomfield High School posted a photo of himself with a weapon on social media. The caption to the photo made a “derogatory and inflammatory reference” to a fatal school shooting. Authorities later declared that there was no immediate threat in connection to the post.

• See related article: Bloomfield Student's Gun Photo Causes Stir; Cops Say 'No Threat'

The state Department of Education's recently released statistics on "Violence, Vandalism and Substance Abuse" show that 578 schools had at least one incident involving a "weapon" during the 2016-17 school year.

• See related article: Weapons Found In These 578 NJ Schools During 2016-17 Year

NUTLEY STUDENTS OFFERED COUNSELING

Glazer provided an update on the district’s efforts to address the effects of gun violence on students as staff prepared to return to work on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

“Our security protocols were implemented as planned and the Nutley police have confirmed there does not appear to be any direct threat to the schools. However, combined with the tragedy in Parkland, Florida, there is a need to address our feelings and to be supportive and responsive to our students’, staff, and community’s varied reactions.”

In partnership with the Nutley Family Service Bureau, the Nutley Public School District began offering counseling services this week to students, staff and/or parents.

All sessions are confidential and will be offered free of charge at NFSB sites located on Chestnut Street. Interested participants can call 973-667-1884 to schedule an appointment from Tuesday, Feb. 20 to Friday, Feb. 23. (See the full schedule here and times here)

Nutley school officials also recommended the following resources for parents to use when discussing school safety with their children:

• How To Talk With Kids About Terrible Things
• Talking to Children About Violence

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