Spring Break
Collins rethinks stance on arming campus police
by Rachel Marder
Senior Editor
News | 8/28/07
Posted online at 4:46 AM EST on 8/28/07
The Virginia Tech shootings last April may be enough to persuade University officials to arm campus police.
Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins, who told the Justice in March 2006, "I don't believe [a gun is] a necessary tool right now" in regards to arming officers, said that he is reconsidering that stance after an administrative committee convened over the summer to discuss this ongoing issue.
"The events of Virginia Tech that occurred in April of this past year have given me great pause about the issue of arming officers," Collins said. "The Virginia Tech case and the amount of damage that was done in Virginia Tech has caused me to rethink seriously my previously stated position with respect to arming officers at Brandeis."
While campus officers have maintained that they can't perform their job to the best of their ability without guns, administrators have previously said the nature of the Brandeis campus makes arming the officers unnecessary. The officers are trained by the state of Massachusetts to operate firearms, Ron Haley, the police officers' union representative, has said.
Although the question has come up periodically, most notably after the 9/11 attacks, this is the third time a committee has met to discuss the issue.
Similar committees met in 1976 and 1993, when officers weren't receiving arms training in police academy. The 1976 report stated that the presence of firearms would increase "the possibility of accidental injury to a student or to others."
Collins said the committee also included Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, General Counsel Judith Sizer, and faculty, student and staff representatives. No campus officers served on the committee, Collins added.
The committee, chaired by Director of Campus Operations Peter French, hasn't yet reached any definite conclusions from their three meetings, French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
"The committee will continue to meet over the next several weeks," he wrote.
In one meeting, police officers from Brandeis, Waltham, Bentley College and Babson College gave a presentation on the merits of arming officers, Collins said. Bentley officers are armed.
"I think everyone did a good job of presenting their position, which was pretty much universally in favor of arming," Collins said. "Hopefully the committee is going to be reaching a conclusion or recommendation shortly."
Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins, who told the Justice in March 2006, "I don't believe [a gun is] a necessary tool right now" in regards to arming officers, said that he is reconsidering that stance after an administrative committee convened over the summer to discuss this ongoing issue.
"The events of Virginia Tech that occurred in April of this past year have given me great pause about the issue of arming officers," Collins said. "The Virginia Tech case and the amount of damage that was done in Virginia Tech has caused me to rethink seriously my previously stated position with respect to arming officers at Brandeis."
While campus officers have maintained that they can't perform their job to the best of their ability without guns, administrators have previously said the nature of the Brandeis campus makes arming the officers unnecessary. The officers are trained by the state of Massachusetts to operate firearms, Ron Haley, the police officers' union representative, has said.
Although the question has come up periodically, most notably after the 9/11 attacks, this is the third time a committee has met to discuss the issue.
Similar committees met in 1976 and 1993, when officers weren't receiving arms training in police academy. The 1976 report stated that the presence of firearms would increase "the possibility of accidental injury to a student or to others."
Collins said the committee also included Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, General Counsel Judith Sizer, and faculty, student and staff representatives. No campus officers served on the committee, Collins added.
The committee, chaired by Director of Campus Operations Peter French, hasn't yet reached any definite conclusions from their three meetings, French wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.
"The committee will continue to meet over the next several weeks," he wrote.
In one meeting, police officers from Brandeis, Waltham, Bentley College and Babson College gave a presentation on the merits of arming officers, Collins said. Bentley officers are armed.
"I think everyone did a good job of presenting their position, which was pretty much universally in favor of arming," Collins said. "Hopefully the committee is going to be reaching a conclusion or recommendation shortly."
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