Des Moines Register
09-12-07
University presidents: arm the campus cops
BY ERIN JORDAN AND LISA ROSSI
REGISTER STAFF WRITERS
The presidents of Iowa’s three public universities recommended Wednesday that
certified campus police officers be armed.
Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy, University of Iowa
President Sally Mason, and University of Northern Iowa President Benjamin Allen
all stood in unison in support of the arming proposal in three separate letters sent
to the Iowa Board of Regents.
The recommendations are the latest in a debate over whether to arm campus
police, a probe of public safety processes and protocols that was ordered at the
state’s three universities after the campus shootings at Virginia Tech University in
April.
The Regents will consider the proposal at the Sept. 18-19 meeting in Council
Bluffs.
“That’s interesting, but there are other things that will factor into the decision,”
said Regent Craig Lang, of Brooklyn, of the presidents’ letters. He named as
examples student opinions and national reports.
Geoffroy wrote in his recommendation that safety was a priority on campus, and
police officers at the regents universities have the same training as other law
enforcement officers in the state.
“I realize that not everyone will agree with this recommendation, but I want
everyone to know that I fully understand the issues involved,” Geoffroy wrote. “It
is my judgment that in order to ensure that we continue to provide the safest
possible learning environment for our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our
campus, and understanding that there are increasing threats to our security, we
must provide the professional staff whose responsibility it is to ensure safety and
protection with all of the tools they need to effectively carry out their
responsibilities.”
Mason also cited as reasons for her decision that campus police have the same
training as all other police officers and that campus police deal with dangerous
situations in which they cannot adequately defend the campus if they have to
return to their office to get a gun.
The U of I, ISU and UNI are the only universities in their respective conferences
that do not allow their officers to regularly carry firearms.
UNI president Allen said the recommendation to arm campus officers was one of
several designed to improve campus safety.
“The university must continually assess all aspects of security and make the
necessary changes and investments to provide the level of security that students,
faculty, staff, parents and visitors reasonably expect,” he wrote.
The presidents at the universities wrote their recommendations after hearing
from input from campus groups.
The faculty senates of ISU and the U of I voted Tuesday to recommend that their
schools join the other universities in their conferences and arm their campus
police.
The University of Northern Iowa faculty senate voted against arming campus
police on Aug. 31.Reporter Lisa Rossi can be reached at (515) 232-2383 or
lrossi@dmreg.com