A police officer who dropped off his daughter at her Phoenix elementary school was asked by the school’s principal not to wear his uniform to the school because other parents were concerned that he was carrying a gun, MyFoxPhoenix.com reported.
Scott Urkov is a police officer for the Coolidge Police Department. The department told him not to comment to media inquiries, but immediately after he received the no-uniform request, he posted on Facebook.
"Nothing like your kids school calling and asking if I could not come to pick up my daughter in uniform cause parents were concerned when their kids came home telling them there was a man at school with a gun, “ he posted. “Are you freaking kidding me?"
His daughter attends Entz Elementary School, which is in the Mesa Unified School District.
A district spokeswoman told the station that "some parents" voiced concern about seeing a fully armed police officer on the school’s campus. The spokeswoman apologized that Urkov perhaps took the discussion the wrong way.
"It was not the intent of the principal to offend him," the spokeswoman said.
"Well I was a little surprised," said parent Blaine Spencer. "I think that it's his right to wear that in public. Even if my kids saw that I think they'd feel more protected to see a man in uniform at their school."
Meanwhile, school officials' initial reaction was to ask the officer not to wear his gun and uniform to school, they are now saying they want to turn this incident into "a teachable moment."
They invited the officer to a special assembly to talk about what police officers do for the community.
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