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Reinharz decides to arm campus police
by Anya Bergman
News | 9/18/07
Posted online at 3:50 AM EST on 9/18/07
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University President Jehuda Reinharz made a landmark decision Wednesday morning when he announced that the University would begin arming its campus police officers with handguns. The question of whether the officers should be armed has arisen before, most recently following the Virginia Tech shootings last April, with officers arguing that they need guns to perform their jobs effectively and administrators countering that the low crime rate on campus makes guns an unnecessary tool.
But with the release of a fire arms committee's recommendation to arm the officers, Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins said, all officers will undergo firearm training within the next three months under Waltham and state police officers. Most officers have already been trained by the state to operate firearms, former Union representative Ron Haley told the Justice in April 2006.
Training and arming officers will cost around $100,000, Executive Vice President of Campus Operations Peter French said.
Reinharz convened the firearms advisory committee comprised of administrators, students, faculty and staff over the summer. The committee, while at first divided, the report said, ultimately recommended to arm the officers.
"I started this process with really a very open mind, and I was very mindful of the pros and cons of arming or not arming," said French, who chaired the committee. "As we went through the discussion and the presentations throughout the summer, I really came to the conclusion, as did the committee, that it was appropriate to arm the Brandeis police officers."
"I think that the committee report speaks for itself, and I think that [arming] is a prudent decision," Collins said.
Collins said last month that the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute caused him to rethink his previous stance against arming the officers.
According to the report, some members of the committee were reluctant to arm officers because they feel a college campus should be a protected space, free of guns.
But with the release of a fire arms committee's recommendation to arm the officers, Vice President of Campus Operations Mark Collins said, all officers will undergo firearm training within the next three months under Waltham and state police officers. Most officers have already been trained by the state to operate firearms, former Union representative Ron Haley told the Justice in April 2006.
Training and arming officers will cost around $100,000, Executive Vice President of Campus Operations Peter French said.
Reinharz convened the firearms advisory committee comprised of administrators, students, faculty and staff over the summer. The committee, while at first divided, the report said, ultimately recommended to arm the officers.
"I started this process with really a very open mind, and I was very mindful of the pros and cons of arming or not arming," said French, who chaired the committee. "As we went through the discussion and the presentations throughout the summer, I really came to the conclusion, as did the committee, that it was appropriate to arm the Brandeis police officers."
"I think that the committee report speaks for itself, and I think that [arming] is a prudent decision," Collins said.
Collins said last month that the shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute caused him to rethink his previous stance against arming the officers.
According to the report, some members of the committee were reluctant to arm officers because they feel a college campus should be a protected space, free of guns.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
Dan
posted 9/18/07 @ 3:59 PM EST
It is video's and stories like this one at the University of Florida, that really makes the arming of our public safety officers scare me.
http://youtube. (Continued…)
haha
posted 9/18/07 @ 11:59 PM EST
"Training and arming officers will cost around $100,000, Executive Vice President of Campus Operations Peter French said. "
We could bring another president to the University for that much!!! This decision seems very reactionary and not incredibly well thought out. (Continued…)
Don't Tase Me, Bro
posted 9/19/07 @ 12:33 PM EST
nuff said. Don't trust campus police. They're just egomaniacal pigs hell bent on torturing students because they are not bright enough to be able to beat innocent blacks with the LAPD. (Continued…)
James Sanders
posted 9/19/07 @ 12:41 PM EST
Seriously? What happened to the Justice's moderation policy? Basically you have comments saying that all cops are bad. Do you actually know any of the Brandeis Cops? Some of the are very nice, caring people. (Continued…)
Gavriel Lieberman
posted 9/19/07 @ 8:10 PM EST
I'd like to applaud President Jehuda for taking the necessary actions to help ensure the safety of the Brandeis student body. For him to do the right thing despite obvious pressures from Brandeis' radical liberals is true courage. (Continued…)
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