he Douglas County School District plans to arm its security staff with 10 semiautomatic rifles designed to provide a high-powered defense in the event of a shooting or other violent incident.

Richard Payne, director of security, said he made the decision to spend more than $12,000 on the Bushmaster "long guns" in January after noting his security officers, equipped only with handguns, were training "hand to hand" with the sheriff's office, which used the larger weapons.

"We want to make sure they have the same tools as law enforcement," Payne said Monday of his eight armed officers.

The first few rifles should be ready for use within a month's time once officers have gone through a 20-hour training course, the same one that commissioned police officers take. The rest of the guns will be deployed in August, he said.

...

Payne said the decision to buy the rifles was his and the Douglas County school board had not discussed it or voted on it.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_29783261/douglas-county-schools-issue-semiautomatic-rifles-security-staff