<p>In light of recent events, I'm wondering if officers on your campus (your children's campuses) are armed and if you think they should be armed. I know many larger universities have armed their campus police, but many of the smaller LACs have opted to NOT arm them. I suspect this is a complicated issue and thought this would be a great venue to get various points of view.</p>
<p>The University of Delaware recently decided to allow their officers to carry guns. Before that the guns were locked in boxes in their cars, and they needed "permission" to take them out.</p>
<p>That is new to me about UD where my son currently is a freshman. Where did you find this information about their campus security carrying guns.</p>
<p>This is the statement from the security page where my daughter attends:</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Otterbein College Security Department does not currently have commissioned police authority at the College, but all officers are Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) certified. The Otterbein College Security Department maintains a close working relationship with the Westerville Police Department (WPD) and all officers are equipped with portable radios to directly contact to WPD, if needed. Reports and other critical information is frequently exchanged between the Otterbein College Security Department and WPD. The Otterbein College Security Department and WPD often work together for major events occurring throughout campus.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I've been very impressed with security at Otterbein; they really seem to be on top of things. My daughter mentioned last week that an active shooter drill was coming up soon, and sadly, I think this drill will take on new urgency since the NIU shootings.</p>
<p>Here's from my D's college:</p>
<p>"The HUPD is a full-service police department (comprising a Patrol Division, Criminal Investigation Division, and Dignitary Protection Unit) that includes police officers, detectives, civilian communication dispatchers, and support and administrative personnel. The police officers are sworn special State Police officers with deputy sheriff powers."</p>
<p>I'm guessing that they are armed.</p>
<p>Southeast Missouri State University has 10,000 students with 3,000 living on campus. We don't have "campus security officers" but rather full-fledged law enforcement officers. Yes, they are armed.</p>
<p>It really depends on the school. At one of my past schools, tour guides played up the fact that they simply had security guards and had no need for police. You'd hear about theft in the library or student union now and then, but it was a pretty quiet place when it came to crime. That school hired town police for big events. That was over ten years ago, so things may have changed at that school.</p>
<p>Every other school at which I've worked has had a police precinct on campus. Obviously, these are larger schools, most with a good number of students living off-campus neighborhoods and with events that attracted large numbers of tourists and visitors.</p>
<p>The University of Chicago also has a full service police department:
[quote]
The University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD) has worked to keep our communities safe for more than 40 years. This professionally trained force operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from 39th to 64th Streets and Cottage Grove Avenue to Lake Shore Drive.</p>
<p>Our more than 140 state-certified officers have full police powers. They respond to emergency calls, patrol neighborhoods, listen to residents' concerns, conduct food and toy collections for neighbors in need, and more.
[/quote]
Campus actually gets double coverage since both CPD and UCPD patrol the area. The UCPD is a full police force, so I'm assuming officers are armed, though the website didn't say specifically.</p>
<p>Most larger campuses have their own fully comissioned police forces if for no other reason than having the city/towns police force provide police coverage to such a large area of private land would be an unfair burden on the local taxpayers. However, many large campuses, with their own armed police force, also have 'security' folks too that are unarmed and perform most of the typical mundane security duties such as locking doors, spot security checks of dorms and the like.</p>
<p>So long as they're properly trainined, I don't see any problem with having a campus police force armed. I don't think there's been any problem with the campus police randomly shooting the students! ;-)</p>
<p>Here is an article I copied from their website:</p>
<p>UD police force to expand and start armed foot patrols</p>
<p>Chief James Flatley, director of public safety: If you see something in your residence hall or your apartment complex and something is not right, pick up the phone and dial 911. Give us a call.</p>
<p>11:30 a.m., Dec. 12, 2007--The Department of Public Safety will hire more police officers, start armed foot patrols in campus areas that are inaccessible by car and enhance outdoor lighting. Scott Douglass, senior vice president, announced the changes on Dec. 4 during a University forum on safety.
Douglass, who was accompanied by Chief James Flatley, director of public safety, said the University will hire five additional police officers to increase the number of sworn officers to 48, so that more officers can be assigned to patrols after dusk.</p>
<p>We want officers out of cars in areas where it would improve safety by having police officers walking around, Douglass said.</p>
<p>Douglass said a survey of campus lighting, which coincided with the forum, will determine areas that need additional lighting installed. More blue light emergency phones and surveillance cameras also will be installed and entrances to some buildings will be secured with electronic locks, he said.</p>
<p>Flatley said all UD police are sworn officers who are trained in the Delaware State Police Academy, the New Castle County Police Academy and the Wilmington Police Academy, and certified to handle weapons. Additionally, in preparation for the new policy, all UD officers will receive additional training, he said.</p>
<p>Flatley said the Department of Public Safety underwent a three-year assessment and received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, a highly prized and international recognition of professional excellence.</p>
<p>It is something that we are very proud about, Flatley said. It says something about the men and women of the department: That they do a good job and it is something that they have been doing for a number of years.</p>
<p>Douglass said UD has been working closely with the Delaware State Police and the Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security on emergency preparedness, and plans are being made for a major joint exercise on campus next summer.</p>
<p>In response to a question about the University's emergency alert system, Flatley said the telephone text and e-mail messaging system has been successfully tested. He described other means through which an emergency alert would be sent out, including telephone voice messages, a message that can override the campus television network and screen projectors in more than 160 classrooms, and outdoor loudspeakers.</p>
<p>Flatley said the escort service provided by the Department of Public Safety had grown exponentially, from 3,900 escorts in the 2005 fiscal year to 33,000 escorts in the 2007 fiscal year. He said the department has hired more police aides and increased the vehicles available in order to meet the growing demand.</p>
<p>The escort service is meant for students, for one or two of you when you need to get from one place to another, Douglass said. It's not a cab service for a dozen.</p>
<p>Flatley said the night shuttle bus schedule was recently changed to go along Main Street every 20-25 minutes, trying to hit all the areas that students like to visit or congregate.</p>
<p>Flatley offered safety tips and encouraged students who see anything unusual or a suspicious person in residence halls to call 911, preferably using a landline to ensure that the call is immediately routed to UD police.</p>
<p>This is your community. This is your home for 8 1/2 months of the year and you have to treat it that way, Flatley said. If you see something in your residence hall or your apartment complex and something is not right, pick up the phone and dial 911. Give us a call. Let us know. Provide some information. Give us a chance to respond to see what it is. It could be harmless, but you don't know that, so let us find out.</p>
<p>Flatley also urged students to keep safety in mind, even when they are stepping away for just a few minutes.</p>
<p>It takes only eight seconds to walk into an open room, pick up something and walk out, so we encourage everyone to keep the door to their room locked at all times, Flatley said. We are doing everything we can to make this community a safer place, but we also need your help to make it work.</p>
<p>Pistols and/or M4 carbines here. It is a military base.</p>
<p>I didn't know there were any campuses that didn't have armed security. I'd be scared to live on a campus like that..</p>
<p>Yeah, if one person is armed on a "gun-free" campus, there is almost a 100% chance that they are up to no good...and no one has the best tools to stop them. Which is why I hate the idea of "gun-free zones." I want there to be at least one "good guy" to stop/slow the criminal(s).</p>
<p>No armed security at Holy Cross.</p>
<p>2004- Butler University security guard is shot and killed with his own gun</p>
<p>Police</a> Officer James L. Davis Jr., Butler University Police Department.</p>
<p>Carnegie Mellon has 24 armed officers and 37 security guards and 5 radio dispatchers.</p>
<p>Thank you Mattmoosemom, that is very helpful. I did google the subject about UD and found a news story regarding this situation. I wasn't sure how I would feel if they did carry guns, but in light of the recent developments on college campuses I am relieved they are stepping it up at UD.</p>
<p>All University of California campuses have a fully POST-trained and armed police department on campus. Obviously, some are bigger than others - UCLA and UCB have something like 60-70+ sworn officers, while the smaller ones like Merced, etc have 10-20.</p>
<p>fully commissioned police officers are armed with firearms at Muhlenberg (small LAC)</p>
<p>As long as they are competant, I wouldn't want them NOT to be armed. If the "good guys" have the upper hand in detterance, or force, it's usually better for the innocents around them.</p>