In a unanimous vote on August 24, 2022, the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District school board moved to fire the district’s Police Chief Pete Arredondo.
The now-fired police chief was one of the first responders on the scene. He faced sharp criticism over his police department’s unacceptably slow response to the massacre. Arredondo had been on administrative leave since June 22.
Uvalde law enforcement took 77 minutes to neutralize the gunman Salvador Ramos. In being fired, Arredondo became the first officer to be canned due to his response to a mass shooting incident.
While law enforcement has its place in a civilized society, it’s also an imperfect institution. Just like anything humans run, it will come with flaws and imperfections. In light of the latest developments related to the Uvalde massacre, law enforcement should be critiqued when they screw up. In the case that they make major screw ups, law enforcement officers should be severely punished.
The Uvalde school district got that right here. From here on out schools nationwide need to start investing more in school security — whether it’s by training law-abiding teachers to exercise concealed carry or contracting with experienced private security providers.
One thing is certain though: Gun-free zones are safe spaces for blood-thirsty criminals.
Federal gun free school legislation must be repealed and security functions should be brought back to the local level where school districts and communities can decide on how they will maintain public security.
José Niño is a freelance writer and political analyst based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook or Twitter. Get his premium newsletter on political strategy here. Subscribe to his Substack here.
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