Sioux City Journal, IA
10-31-07
Regents will consider arming campus police
By Charlotte Eby Journal Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES -- The Iowa Board of Regents will consider a comprehensive
security policy at its meeting in Iowa City today that would allow campus police to
carry firearms.
The proposed policy also would require the universities to implement an
emergency communication system with outdoor warning systems and voice and
text messaging.
Calls for allowing campus police at Iowa's universities to carry guns grew louder
after a shooting spree at Virginia Tech this spring that claimed the lives of 32
people.
State lawmakers and presidents at Iowa's public universities sought a change in
the current rule that prohibits campus police from going armed without
presidential permission.
Board of regents member Craig Lang said the board wanted a complete policy
that included an alert system and other security measures to protect students
and faculty before they allowed campus police to carry guns.
He said he also believes it is important that campus police officers meet more
rigorous standards than other law enforcement officers, a requirement that is laid
out in the proposed policy.
"I think it's very important to understand the psychological character of the
campus, and that's what we're talking about," he said.
Lang said although it is almost impossible to prevent a shooting on campus, the
regents wanted to do everything possible to prevent them.
The board at its September meeting delayed action on allowing police to carry
guns until a comprehensive security policy could be written.
Brian Phillips, president of the student government at Iowa State
University, said he is pleased to see the security plan includes more than simply
arming police and is interested to see how a text messaging system would be
implemented.
Phillips has shown the regents the results of a survey that found close to 60
percent of ISU students favored arming campus police.
"At the last meeting, we were a little disappointed that they chose not to address
it then," Phillips said.
State Rep. Roger Wendt, a Sioux City Democrat and chairman of the House
Education Committee, is in favor of arming campus police as long as they are
fully trained.
"You're never sure about if that's going to solve a problem, but I think it's just one
more measure," Wendt said.
Charlotte Eby can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.{M7