Anthony Triplett Jr. is a nine-year Army veteran who lives near Lacey and has two children in the North Thurston Public Schools.
He formed a nonprofit to address veteran suicides after working in federal security.
On May 24, a mass school shooting occurred in Uvalde, Texas, killing 21 people.
Triplett was asked by his children if they had to go back to school.
Triplett described it as heartbreaking. Triplett asked himself what he could do.
Concerns about school safety were raised around the time of the Texas shooting. Some people in the community asked if bullet-proof glass could be put in the school hallways.
Triplett wanted to offer his services as a security guard. He wrote a proposal and sent it to the city of Lacey, but they didn't reply. After the Uvalde shooting, he took it upon himself to protect himself.
Triplett seems to be the public face of the group that he is working with.
Triplett says he wears a bullet-proof vest and carries a pistol when he's on watch. Jade is a service dog. Washington state has an open carry law that allows him to carry a weapon in public. A background check is required for him to carry a concealed weapon.
He said some of the students who left campus during lunchtime greeted him warmly, but some were worried and he was visited by school officials and a Lacey police officer.
Triplett knows what it means to be a black man with a gun. He is open to questions if people are worried.
He said that he talked to them for a while and their perspective changed.
He says he was met by concerned school officials when he visitedEvergreen Forest Elementary. Triplett recalled one official who was on edge, but later relaxed when he said he was a concerned parent. He says the principal of the school finally came and asked his colleague, "Are you OK?"
A deputy from the sheriff's office spent about an hour with Triplett that day to make sure he wasn't making anyone angry.
As long as Triplett isn't on school property, he's not breaking any laws.
They have been clear about not bringing guns onto school campuses.
According to Triplett, no one has asked him not to stand outside a school, even though school officials have asked for his business card and have asked to be notified when he is near the school. When he is going to be on guard, he has sent a text to the police.
The public response has been good.
He said it had been nothing but thanks, cries of support, and nothing negative at all.
A parent of a veteran confirmed to The Olympian that she had seen Triplett and trusted him because she understood the type of training that veterans receive. Triplett said he might get more support in the Lacey area due to its large military population.
Everyone is unhappy.
In August, The Olympian published a letter from a woman outlining her concerns about Veteran Overwatch and the support it has received from a sheriff's candidate.
Kathleen Tanaka is a parent and she said that this is a serious concern. Is he going to provide the background checks if he's elected? Why don't these veterans apply for the Sheriff's Office, complete the rigorous background checks, academy training, and continual firearms and other training, if they want to be in security? They can't pass medical or drug testing.
He discovered Triplett on social media and met him in person.
I am proud to say that I fully trust any veteran volunteer who can pass a comprehensive background check and psychological examination to protect our schools, and I look forward to working on this program with veterans, students, teachers, and school officials as your next sheriff.
Triplett said in a conversation with The Olympian that he doesn't want to be a bad guy. He believes that veterans could be trained to work in security. The pilot program is needed for the idea to move forward.
The veteran would not replace law enforcement.
The fix is part of the fix.
The sheriff said the office is aware of Triplett.
He supports veterans and doesn't question their qualifications or experience.
He stated that they have a lot to offer.
He said that the job of protecting schools is for law enforcement. His department has a good relationship with the community and has received training.
Lacey police officers and a sheriff's deputy are school resource officers. The deputy splits his time between a middle school and seven elementary schools.
The response times to a school shooting would suffer as a result of Triplett's belief that law enforcement is undermanned.
He said that he couldn't wait for the first officer to arrive.
In the event of an emergency, having both police and veteran at the scene is very confusing.
He asked how he could tell the bad from the good.
Veteran Overwatch would eventually evolve to a point where they would be uniformed security in schools and have radios to communicate with police, according to Triplett.
The school board president was reached out to by the Olympian. Newkirk concluded that Triplett had the right to do what he did after checking with the district.
He understands what Triplett is going through. A lack of purpose after leaving the military is something many veterans suffer from. It was something that Newkirk experienced as well.
Newkirk said that Triplett wasn't missing that sense of purpose.
The Veteran has changed Triplett. This has given me a purpose that I have been looking for.
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