ST. PETERSBURG — After a firestorm of questions from parents and school board members, the Pinellas County school district’s internal police force will return 28 military surplus M16 assault rifles it purchased.

Schools Police Chief Rick Stelljes sent a letter to Superintendent Michael Grego asking him to return the weapons, purchased through the Department of Defense 1033 Program.

School Board Chairwoman Carol Cook said the board didn’t know the guns had been purchased until it was reported by the media. “It was a misstep, for sure,” Cook said.

Stelljes and Grego began looking into the equipment after the December 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Cook said. The tragedy sparked conversations with legislators and school districts about more armed police in schools, as well as increasing other security measures.

The 1033 government program supplies discounted, decommissioned military equipment to more than 8,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide. It also sold weapons to school police at the University of South Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the Bay County and Palm Beach County school districts.

Because the M16s only cost $50 apiece, the purchase never made it to the school board, Cook said. Usually, purchases under $250 can be approved by the superintendent without the board’s approval.

“Had it come back to us, I would have been able to get my questions answered and then I may or may not have supported it,” Cook said. “My biggest priority is making sure our students are safe. I might have gone along with it, but I also am not upset that they’re going back.”

The rifles were purchased to give school officers access to equipment comparable to other law enforcement agencies, strictly for “worst-case scenarios” like an active shooter on campus, Stelljes said. The school district also contracts with local police and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office for officers to monitor more than 101,500 public school students.

The school police force generally handles calls at elementary and fundamental schools. The officers also monitor two Pinellas Technical Education Center campuses.

“I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on the decision that I made and have had a lot of conversations with individuals in law enforcement and the school district, and it got me thinking introspectively about our mission,” Stelljes said. “Although we’re fully certified police officers and we have a tremendous amount of talent here with seasoned officers, our focus is a little different on what we do every day in our schools and working with students with special needs. We’re focused on prevention, education, mentoring, guidance and developing relationships with students and staff so those students can be successful.”

The White House and Congress have announced plans to review the 1033 Program. Amid scrutiny by civil liberties groups and media outlets, several school districts have pledged to return equipment purchased through the program.

Even without the guns, Cook said schools police are constantly “working to ensure they’re prepared for the worst-case scenario and hoping for the best.”

“They decided it wasn’t going to be a good thing for our district, but I’m confident we’ll still be able to keep our students safe,” Cook said.

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©2014 the Tampa Tribune (Tampa, Fla.) Distributed by MCT Information Services

