Arming Campus Security: Is it a Good Idea?

Arming Campus Security: Is it a Good Idea?

In the wake of mass shootings, many schools are asking themselves this question

  • Jun 13, 2016

New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon, is asking a question many universities are asking themselves these days: Should security officers be armed on college campuses?

The University of Oregon has had an armed force on campus for the past four years, and other schools in the area are considering the same steps.

“If we actually had someone here on campus that can respond to that threat, we're cutting minutes off of that response time before we actually engage that threat and that could save a lot of lives," said Donnie Meyers, director of campus safety at New Hope Christian College in Eugene, in a report.

Kelly McIver, of the University of Oregon’s Police Department, said security measures are dependent on each school’s size and needs.

"For demands and priorities, the expectations of your customers essentially are different, so you want to understand those very well as you go into providing again whether it's security or sworn law enforcement," McIver said.

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