2008 Woodie Awards
New bill could arm university police
Robert Preliasco
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: News
04/02/08 - A bill before the Rhode Island General Assembly could issue firearms to University of Rhode Island police officers.
The bill has not yet been voted on and no specific date for a vote has been set.
Called the Maintenance of Order on Campus Act, the bill would amend a section of Rhode Island General Law to require an armed campus police force at all of Rhode Island's higher education institutions.
The law currently leaves the decision to arm the campus police force up to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, which oversees the state's colleges and universities.
Andrea Hopkins, URI assistant vice president for public affairs, said that the university is opposed to the legislation.
"We've always maintained that the Board of Governors should retain the authority over whether campus police should be armed, and this bill takes that authority away," she said.
At a URI Faculty Senate meeting last week, president Robert L. Carothers stated his personal opposition to the legislation and noted that the Faculty Senate is also opposed by a ratio of "about five- or six-to-one."
But he also said that the issue is important, given recent incidents of campus violence, and said that the arming of URI police will eventually happen.
Aside from the removal of authority from the Board of Governors, Hopkins said that another problem with arming the campus police is the cost. The bill does not specify where the funding will come from to arm each police officer and to provide the specialized training that is necessary for carrying a firearm.
Maj. Stephen Baker of URI police said that it would cost about $1,000 to arm each officer. There are currently 23 officers on campus with three positions vacant. There would also be costs associated with giving each officer specialized training, but Baker did not have an estimate for those costs.
Baker said that he would like to see URI police armed. He said that he would prefer that the decision be made by the Board of Governors, but he is not opposed to the current legislation.
The bill has not yet been voted on and no specific date for a vote has been set.
Called the Maintenance of Order on Campus Act, the bill would amend a section of Rhode Island General Law to require an armed campus police force at all of Rhode Island's higher education institutions.
The law currently leaves the decision to arm the campus police force up to the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education, which oversees the state's colleges and universities.
Andrea Hopkins, URI assistant vice president for public affairs, said that the university is opposed to the legislation.
"We've always maintained that the Board of Governors should retain the authority over whether campus police should be armed, and this bill takes that authority away," she said.
At a URI Faculty Senate meeting last week, president Robert L. Carothers stated his personal opposition to the legislation and noted that the Faculty Senate is also opposed by a ratio of "about five- or six-to-one."
But he also said that the issue is important, given recent incidents of campus violence, and said that the arming of URI police will eventually happen.
Aside from the removal of authority from the Board of Governors, Hopkins said that another problem with arming the campus police is the cost. The bill does not specify where the funding will come from to arm each police officer and to provide the specialized training that is necessary for carrying a firearm.
Maj. Stephen Baker of URI police said that it would cost about $1,000 to arm each officer. There are currently 23 officers on campus with three positions vacant. There would also be costs associated with giving each officer specialized training, but Baker did not have an estimate for those costs.
Baker said that he would like to see URI police armed. He said that he would prefer that the decision be made by the Board of Governors, but he is not opposed to the current legislation.