Board considers arming public campus police
Alternative content
Arming Campus Police
The state Board of Governors is considering arming police officers on state college campuses.PROVIDENCE—Rhode Island is the only state in the nation that does not allow police to carry guns on public college and university campuses.
Four public hearings are scheduled to take input on changing that policy. The first was held Wednesday at Rhode Island College.
While most students spoke against arming the campus police, an officer at RIC said the Virginia Tech massacre is a reason to change the law in Rhode Island.
The state Board of Governors for Higher Education will decide in the spring whether to arm the police at RIC, as well as the University of Rhode Island and the Community College of Rhode Island. It would take another 18 to 24 months until campus officers began carrying guns.
Brown University in Providence armed its police force in 2006.
Advertisement
Reader Reactions
I hope the campus police will get the same training as the regular police in RI who still manage to shoot at least one of their own each year.
Advertisement