R.I. Senate Judiciary discusses putting guns in hands of URI police
Tyler Will
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: News
04/23/08 - During a hearing yesterday on a bill that would allow Rhode Island public campus police to carry guns, R.I. Senate Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman Charles Levesque said that the R.I. Board of Governors powers over those officers are a privilege.
His caution came during the hearing after Michael Bailey of the American Association of University Professors said that his organization thinks that the decision to allow campus police to carry firearms should "not be a legislative decision." Bailey also said that the South Kingstown Police Department, whose officers carry firearms, has been a sufficient law enforcement body to complement the unarmed University Police at URI.
Levesque said that the legislative responsibility lies with the state.
"We may delegate that responsibility to organizations like the Board of Governors," Levesque said, but he reminded Bailey of the General Assembly's supremacy. "It is our obligation to step in and do the right thing."
BOG Associate Commissioner for External Affairs Steven Maurano testified that the board - which oversees URI, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island - should be allowed to decide if police can carry firearms as is current law. He said that if the bill is passed, it would force a cost on the university without sufficient funding.
"We think that to put this bill on us without any funding mechanism would be a severe burden," Maurano said.
URI Assistant Vice President of Business Services J. Vernon Wyman also said that the bill doesn't address the startup cost, which includes the purchase of firearms and new training. Wyman said the training would be needed to "effectively and safely" implement the new gun measures.
Wyman also said that the university could support the bill, but not "at this time." Wyman recommended a commission to study the implications of police with firearms, including its cost.
In an interview outside the hearing, Wyman said some of the training would involve teaching officers to recognize when to use a firearm, and not just how. He added that URI President Robert L. Carothers said armed police may be "inevitable," but that the decision should remain with the BOG.
His caution came during the hearing after Michael Bailey of the American Association of University Professors said that his organization thinks that the decision to allow campus police to carry firearms should "not be a legislative decision." Bailey also said that the South Kingstown Police Department, whose officers carry firearms, has been a sufficient law enforcement body to complement the unarmed University Police at URI.
Levesque said that the legislative responsibility lies with the state.
"We may delegate that responsibility to organizations like the Board of Governors," Levesque said, but he reminded Bailey of the General Assembly's supremacy. "It is our obligation to step in and do the right thing."
BOG Associate Commissioner for External Affairs Steven Maurano testified that the board - which oversees URI, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island - should be allowed to decide if police can carry firearms as is current law. He said that if the bill is passed, it would force a cost on the university without sufficient funding.
"We think that to put this bill on us without any funding mechanism would be a severe burden," Maurano said.
URI Assistant Vice President of Business Services J. Vernon Wyman also said that the bill doesn't address the startup cost, which includes the purchase of firearms and new training. Wyman said the training would be needed to "effectively and safely" implement the new gun measures.
Wyman also said that the university could support the bill, but not "at this time." Wyman recommended a commission to study the implications of police with firearms, including its cost.
In an interview outside the hearing, Wyman said some of the training would involve teaching officers to recognize when to use a firearm, and not just how. He added that URI President Robert L. Carothers said armed police may be "inevitable," but that the decision should remain with the BOG.
