Iowa City Press Citizen, IA
08-30-07
Mason to consider proposal to arm UI police
By the Press-Citizen
University of Iowa President Sally Mason and the presidents of Iowa State
University and the University of Northern Iowa have accepted and are reviewing
a report and recommendation that police officers at Iowa's three regents
universities be authorized to carry firearms as standard equipment. The
recommendation was submitted to the presidents by the vice presidents and
directors of public safety at the three universities.
The report and recommendations are available in PDF form at http://newsreleases.uiowa.edu/2007/august/082907firearms-recommendation.pdf.
Mason is discussing the recommendations with campus leaders and will decide
over the next few weeks whether to concur with them. She will pass her decision
on to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. The Legislature asked the regents for
a detailed study of campus safety and security measures, including a review of
the issue of arming campus police, by Oct. 15.
Mason has asked the UI Faculty Senate, Staff Council and Student Government
body to review and respond to the report's recommendations. Other members of
the university community also are invited to respond by sending comments to
president@uiowa.edu by Monday, Sept. 10.
The recommendation and accompanying report calls for authorizing police
officers on the state university campuses to carry firearms and stipulates that
police must meet stringent training and firearms recertification requirements.
In making the recommendation, the UI, ISU and UNI vice presidents and public
safety officers point out that:
--The state universities' campuses are larger than many Iowa communities and
experience all of the problems that exist in society at large.
--Police who are armed can respond more rapidly to a threat.
--Law enforcement officers at the three regent universities meet the same
standards and receive the same training and certification as all other Iowa law
officers.
--Training and educational levels of regents police equal or surpass many
municipal and county counterparts in law enforcement.
--Local, state and national law enforcement agencies support arming police.
All comparable universities or colleges in the United States authorize their
certified police officers to carry firearms as standard equipment.