Armed Campus Police

[PuppyforChrist]

What do you guys think about officers at a University being armed? It's a constant debate at many schools.

At my school for example, we just got word a few weeks ago that our campus Law Enforcement officers will be armed at all times starting this spring semester. While the officers have to go through extensive training for it, I for one feel less safe at my school than I did before. Probably because I wasn't too crazy with Law Enforcement officers at my school to begin with. Some of them are not too nice.

While there are more reasons than that for me, I was just wondering what you guys thought about this? Are your campus police armed at all times or will be soon? What are your opinions on this?

 

[Seeker of the Truth]

actually, our campus police are "real" policemen.. they're part of the counties police task force..

i feel safer knowing that they have an adequate form of defense..

 

[fuzzyh]

If they are trained Police officers, I have no problem with them. However, if they have no training as police officers, but are similar to rent a cop. I am certainly against it. Some schools have real LEO as security while others do not.

 

[Jepas]

My campus security officers aren't armed and I don't want them armed. The only way I would feel comfortable with armed officers is if they were a part of the police department and not security officers.

 

[christianflyboy]

I would feel safer know two things

1. They are armed

2. They more than likely have training to deal with situations

3. Being armed not only deters people but the "officer" could theoreticly defend the students should someone try to create another columbine.

so yes, I'm all for it.

 

[Trippin]

That would scare me. Let the real police have guns.

 

[Sketcher]

There were both sworn officers (who were armed) and Public Safety personnel (the trainee student cops) at my school. The latter were very limited in what they had the authority to do, like rent-a-cops.

 

[Weasel7711]

Officers at Liberty University (christian) are armed. They are actual police officers, not security so they are allowed to i guess. Its in the south with all the gun toting republicans so I dont have a problem with it.

 

[Forealzchola]

What do you guys think about officers at a University being armed? It's a constant debate at many schools.

At my school for example, we just got word a few weeks ago that our campus Law Enforcement officers will be armed at all times starting this spring semester. While the officers have to go through extensive training for it, I for one feel less safe at my school than I did before. Probably because I wasn't too crazy with Law Enforcement officers at my school to begin with. Some of them are not too nice.

While there are more reasons than that for me, I was just wondering what you guys thought about this? Are your campus police armed at all times or will be soon? What are your opinions on this?

I think it is necessary now especially depending on the climate of the school because there are some real nut cases that running around on the campuses and you can never underestimate what i person like this will do...for example at my sisters college...there is a man who has repeatedly sexually harrassed and attacked women on her camps...walking into bathrooms stalls and everything and they have still not caught him!!

 

[ZACTAK]

The officers at my school are armed. They are also real police officers that work for the city, so I have no problems with it. I feel safer with them having guns.

 

[yodafett]

As echoed often in these replies, it depends on if they are, in fact, real LEOs. On MOST state supported Universities, they are.

 

[Shyguyelite]

Same as above... LEO's having a station inside a campus (campus police) is ok with me. However if they are 'mall security', or just guys hired to watch out and yell at people... no dice.

I didn't think this was an issue, but I go to a state university, so I wouldn't know any different.

At your campus, it seems you don't trust the security with judgment of the use of lethal force? Or that it will somehow make things more violent?

Heh... The only advantage to having non LEO guards is that you can run away from them without necessarily being charged if you are caught.

 

[The Lone Gunmen]

I'm not offended if anyone packs heat.

I do so on a regular basis, in fact.

 

[JayCdn]

University rent-a-cops at my school of about 30 000 students do not carry fire arms of any kind. I don't feel as though my safety is in any danger, In my city of 1 000 000, there are about 25 murders per year. I don't see a need for armed guards in this situation, though real police are around fairly frequently.

 

[CamaroZ28Dude]

More guns the better!

 

[Manda_24]

Our campus officers carry guns and they are real police officers. As long as a person is responible I don't care if they carry a gun, I have a permit to do so and have a few times.

 

[OCUreligionmajor2010]

I feel safer at my university with the campus police being armed, but that mostly comes from the fact that where our school is located, gangs and drive by shootings are VERY prevalent! It's not uncommon to see strange people around campus (particularly the parkingl ots), especially at night. So it does give a better sense of security knowing that they can be an actual threat to those people and hopefully keep them off campus.

 

[david594]

Lets me fair, there are plenty of students on campuses with weapons, why shouldnt those entrusted with the safety of the students also be allowed to carry weapons.

We have fairly high incident of violent crimes on campus involving "locals" as we have an open campus and are not in a particularly great town. Public safety are the first to respond to any incident and I would honestly hope when they show up they are carrying a weapon. When you have a student getting beat up by 6 others guys, one public safety office cant do much, but a public safety office with a gun has a little more persuasion backing his words.

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

We have a mix of security guards and armed police. I'm very glad we have armed police here. I sometimes have to walk across campus at night, and its really nice knowing that I can call DPS and ask for an armed escort to take me from any point to any other point on campus. They dropped our campus smack in the middle of a ghetto in the biggest city in the state. Even with all the precaution, a girl was almost kidnapped 20 feet from her dorm last month, the only thing that saved her was her mace. Also, there were 2 shootings within blocks of campus.

 

[The Lone Gunmen]

Mall ninjas with gunz are your friends!