Illinois Superintendent Became A Police Officer For A Good Reason

An Illinois Superintendent's decision to become a police offer was for a good reason.

It's not everyday that you hear about school superintendent having dual roles, yet that's exactly what "Julie Kraemer, [the] superintendent of the 320-student rural Hutsonville, Illinois school district" is doing. (The Hill)

Julie recently completed her training through the police academy and is now a full fledged police officer who can now bring her gun to school and protect the students that she's in charge of.

Ms. Kraemer has been an educator for over 20 years and said that "she was motivated to become a law enforcement officer amid rising concerns about school shootings."

She said:

"If somebody comes in to try to hurt my kids, we have something other than a stapler to throw at them. We’re no longer a soft target. We have some options,” the 51-year-old educator said. “I’m just going to be a superintendent that happens to also be a police officer. ... I have to be able to protect my kids.”

Her decision to take the police training was made after an incident that took place at an area school 3 months before the Parkland, FL shootings. "One student at a neighboring high school was shot by a peer in the cafeteria. A teacher disarmed the student in that shooting."

Julie decided that she would take the training to become a police officer because her school "district did not have the budget to hire a full-time school resource officer."

She already had a conceal carry permit "before she began her law enforcement training, but [thinks] that police training should be “essential” if educators want to carry weapons on a school campus."

Chuck Doan, director of the Southern Illinois Criminal Justice Training Program said that Ms. Kraemer "is the first educator he has seen undergo the training for the purpose of school safety." Yet thinks that "it’s important that we have people in our schools who can make a police response when necessary, whether that’s in the form of a police officer assigned by the department or someone like Julie [Kraemer]."

Wow! I think this is so awesome and selfless of Julie.

What better way to protect our kids when they're in another's charge.

This honestly, takes the power away from the "would be" shooters. This school is taking a stand against them. They will not become a victim.

Although, I'm not a parent, I'm an Aunt with a niece and nephew in high school and I would feel so much better knowing they were safe and protected with someone like Julie Kraemer in the building.

Will this become a new wave and trend for all Illinois schools and those across America?

I honestly don't know but it certainly is going to be interesting to see.