UI The Daily Iowan, IA
09-13-07
Mason backs arming police
Ashton Shurson - The Daily Iowan
UI President Sally Mason recommended arming the UI police to the state Board
of Regents on Tuesday, an action made public Wednesday.
The Iowa State University and University of Northern Iowa presidents had the
same recommendations to the regents. The regents will discuss the issue at their
meeting on Sept. 18-19.
In Mason's recommendation, sent to Regents' Executive Director Gary Steinke,
she says she believes the UI police should "be authorized to carry firearms as
standard equipment when serving as police officers, subject to stringent training
and firearms recertification requirements."
She follows with a rationale saying the UI values and celebrates openness, but
some people - with weapons - can take advantage of it.
"We must find the appropriate balance between the openness we cherish and
our responsibility to protect students, faculty, and staff, and our visitors," Mason
said in the statement.
The recommendation comes after Gov. Chet Culver and the regents asked the
three state universities to present a plan and recommendations for arming their
police forces. All three consulted numerous campus groups and made their
recommendations.
The UI Faculty Senate, Staff Council, and UI Student Government have all voted
in favor of arming the police.
At UNI, President Benjamin Allen asked for input from constituent groups and offcampus groups, including police departments, about arming police, said Jim
O'Connor, UNI's interim assistant vice president for marketing and public
relations.
ISU asked three main organizations to submit recommendations to the
President Gregory Geoffrey, and all were in favor of arming the police, said
John McCarroll, ISU's executive director of university relations.
Around the UI campus, faculty, staff, and students have voiced mixed opinions
about arming the UI police.
Frank Judisch, a professor emeritus of ophthalmology, said he thinks more facts
were needed during the discussions.
"[Guns are] probably appropriate at certain times and conditions but not as it's
being currently presented," he said.
Former Faculty Senate President Sheldon Kurtz said the safety of the officers
was most important to him.
"I fully support [arming the police]," he said. "I've been supporting it for the last
few weeks after reviewing the pros and cons."
UISG President Barrett Anderson - who initially had hesitations - now supports
arming officers, and he wasn't surprised by Mason's recommendation.
"I would not ask police officers to put their lives on the line if they didn't have the
tools that could make them successful," Anderson said.
E-mail DI reporter Ashton Shurson at:
ashton-shurson@uiowa.edu