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A sheriff’s deputies guards the entrance to Mason County Reformed Church.
Sheriff Cole: Kill our children and we will remove you from this planet.
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Dear Editor:
Since my first day in office, actually before that, on Dec. 14, 2012 (the day of the Sandy Hook School shooting) I have placed my highest priority on protecting our community. With a laser sharp focus on our community’s most precious resource, our children.
Sheriff Kim Cole
Since 2013 we have placed barricading devices on 600 area school doors (public and private) to the tune of over $155,000 privately gathered funds through our “Adopt-A-Door” campaign.
We followed that up with our “Adopt-A-Cop” program, where local businesses adopted deputies and equipped them with rifle rated body armor and helmets.
We purchased (little by little) individual entry shields for all our deputies.
We purchased breeching tools (pry bars and sledgehammers) to force barricaded doors.
We have partnered and trained with school staff.
Most recently, we formed a countywide Rescue Task Force. Partnering with firefighters in treating the injured and helping in evacuations.
The men and women of the Mason County SO train, and train, and train… to be the best they can be in the event that worst day comes to our area. A day we pray never comes–but if it does–our heroes, my heroes, will put their lives on the line to preserve our most precious.
We will continue to train and come up with preventative ideas to see if there is something that can be done to identify violent behavior before a tragedy takes place.
Way back in 2015 I said the below and some of you were upset with my strong language. You still feel that way? If you enter our schools to kill our children, we will kill you. We won’t offer you a pack of smokes or a beer. We don’t care to hear what issues in your life brought you to this point…we won’t negotiate. We will remove you from this planet.
No offense, but extreme violence must be met with an equally extreme response.
To my heroes…
“Kudos my hero leaving all the best
You know my hero, the one that’s on
There goes my hero, watch him as he goes
There goes my hero, he’s ordinary”
(The Fighters of Foo)… and you’re welcome for me putting that song in your head…
Kim Cole
Sheriff, Mason County, Michigan
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