New Poll Finds Most Californians Want Good Guys with Guns in Schools

We all know that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun, besides himself, is a good guy with a gun. Some might be willing to be talked down during a mass killing, but most will not be stopped without meeting armed resistance.

That’s why so many of us are advocates for allowing teachers to be armed, if they so desire.

Even if the teacher doesn’t give a damn about the students, their own sense of self-preservation will lead them to use that gun against an attacker, thus ending the threat.

But states like California aren’t likely to go for that. Ever.

Yet it does seem they’re starting to realize that guns in the right hands end problems.

California – Despite California’s reputation as one of the most progressive states in the country—often leading calls for stricter gun control and increased scrutiny of law enforcement— a new poll reveals broad support for placing armed police officers in schools.

The survey, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), found that 71% of residents support the idea of hiring armed police officers to patrol schools. Among public school parents, support was even higher at 76%. The poll results come amid persistent concerns over school shootings, which continue to dominate national headlines. According to EducationWeek, there were 39 school shootings that resulted in injuries in the U.S. during 2024 alone.

Californians’ concern about school safety appears to be a key driver behind this support. The poll found that 72% of all adults—and 81% of public school parents—said they were either “very” or “somewhat” concerned about school shootings. Even among those who reported being less concerned, 61% still supported the presence of armed officers on campus.

“There is a link between concern about a school shooting and support for armed police officers in schools,” the poll report noted. “Among those who are concerned, 75% support this policy.”

Interesting, ain’t it?

This is a long way from the “defund the police” junk we saw back in 2020, especially in heavily progressive areas like the Golden State. It’s not as good as armed citizens, of course, but it’s a step in a realistic direction.

It’s also a tacit acknowledgement that the only way to definitively end a school massacre is to have someone with a gun meet the threat as soon as possible. That’s a long way, in and of itself, from the whole “more guns means more violence” argument that’s so common about Californians. 

Of course, that’s always been relegated to the larger urban centers, but California has a lot of those compared to other states, so it’s still significant.

Now, I’m going to give credit to the journalist who wrote this for looking at EducationWeek’s numbers versus some other entities. They focus on shootings that happened on campus while something school-related was happening there. I’ll also note that 39 isn’t a lot when you look at how many schools there are in the United States. 

For what it’s worth, there have only been seven so far this year.

As for Californians looking at good guys with guns, it’s a step in the right direction. They still need to get past the idea that the only person who can be trusted with a firearm is a police officer, but I guess baby steps are necessary.