| It looks like Calvin College will be setting a precedent. They've become the first private college in the region to approve a Use of Force policy that allows certain security personnel to carry handguns on campus.
In order to carry a handgun, the policy requires that the security personnel have a background as a police officer. Only three of the 43 security officers in question have such a background, but one of them is always on duty. The college has said that this policy may be used to determine future hires. I'm not sure what that means, but my guess is that the board will look to hire security personnel who meet the qualification to carry a gun.
The policy requires safety personnel to attend annual training, and to be tested four times each year for marksmanship and their ability to react to certain situations.
In addition, said [Calvin campus safety director Bill Corner], supervisors who have been authorized to carry a firearm will all have been former law enforcement officers employed by a public law enforcement agency who left such agency while in good standing, will all possess a valid State of Michigan concealed carry weapons permit, and will all have passed all required background checks and psychological evaluations.
Corner also said that state and local government cutbacks contributed to the decision to arm the campus officers.
"The Grand Rapids police have lost approximately 70 officer positions since 2001, so the response time is delayed."
To be fair to Calvin College, let me insert here that Corner also said that the campus is not less safe, but that they want to be able to respond to a threat in a timely manner.
Personally, I think this policy is a good idea. It's thoughtful, it requires ongoing training, and the gun piece is only one component of the overall safety program.
Not all of the Calvin College students agree with me though ... about 60 students came out in protest of the new policy, asking the university to seek more student input before moving ahead.
"We are a Christian college and Jesus gave us an example of nonviolence," Joseph Breems, a junior from Marino Valley, Calif.
The college responded by distributing information on the theological basis for the Use of Force policy. (I'd like to see this if someone out there has it)
Campus safety officers should be armed, under certain conditions. A college campus is full of young people who are away from home for the first time in their lives, experiencing things they've never dealt with before, and often feeling extreme pressure. Campus safety officers are the first responders in this environment.
The only part of this story that bothers me is that the cutbacks to local law enforcement were a factor in the decision. While I'm not sure that the the cuts have led to increased crime, certainly it's led to an increased cost on campus in order to maintain the same level of security. The new policy requires new equipment, training, testing, and perhaps higher salaries. This stuff isn't free, and not all campuses are going to be able to implement a program like this, without a significant shift of costs on to the backs of the students at Calvin College. |
