By March 27, an ad hoc University of Rochester committee is expected to make its recommendations on the UR Department of Public Safety’s proposal to arm more of its campus peace officers. The committee includes student, staff, and faculty representatives.
The department first submitted the proposal to UR’s Public Safety Review Board last May, but the ad hoc committee was formed after vocal opposition from campus groups, particularly the Minority Students’ Association Board.
The university’s public safety department already has 49 armed peace officers who are assigned to the University of Rochester Medical Center campus, including Strong Memorial Hospital, according to UR spokesperson Sara Miller. But no armed peace officers are assigned to any other university properties.
The campus public safety department wants to arm additional peace officers, who would be assigned to patrol the River Campus, the Brooks Crossing and Riverview student apartments west of the Genesee River, and the Eastman School of Music campus, according to the publicly available proposal. Under the department’s proposal, each site would have one armed officer per shift.
Campus peace officers can perform many of the same duties as a police officer, including arresting people for alleged criminal offenses on UR property. Most, though not all, of the campus safety officers have been peace officers since 2013.
The proposal also recommends giving armed public safety department supervisors “unrestricted access to all campuses.”
In the proposal, which was updated in December, campus public safety officials say it’s necessary to have armed officers instead of relying on armed Rochester Police Department officers or armed medical center peace officers to respond to campus incidents involving weapons.
Currently, armed supervisors and officers from the medical center can respond to the adjacent campuses during incidents in which people’s health or lives are at risk, the proposal says. But in active-shooter drills, it takes those officers an average of 6 minutes to respond. The response time is unacceptable, officials say in the proposal.
The Eastman School campus relies entirely on Rochester Police Department officers for incidents involving weapons, the proposal says.
“We believe the University has a responsibility to provide the same level of protection to all of the areas patrolled by DPS,” says the proposal. “Failing to provide armed officer coverage on the River Campus and at the Eastman School of Music at best delays and worst leaves unprotected large segments of our community.”
But the proposal still faces opposition from students and faculty.
The Minority Students’ Association Board sent an e-mail to members in November saying the proposal “does not reflect the direct needs of this campus and surrounding community and in fact, endangers many,” according to a UR Campus Times article published at the time.
Student and faculty opponents have expressed fears that the proposal is another step toward a fully armed campus police force, which many in the UR community have resisted for years.
During a November forum on the proposal, some students asked why the university’s approach to a potential active-shooter situation centers on arming campus officers, and doesn’t include drills so students know how to respond, the Campus Times article reports.
The students and faculty opposed to the proposal also note that the public safety officers who would be armed would be permitted to patrol sections of public streets and sidewalks, which they say would affect people in nearby neighborhoods.
A 2017 change in state law gave campus peace officers jurisdiction over the sidewalks and streets immediately adjacent to UR grounds, buildings, or property. The law “allows DPS officers to make arrests on sidewalks adjoining University properties, as well as investigate motor vehicle accidents on city streets running through and adjacent to University properties,” Miller says.
The opponents largely want the proposal to be withdrawn or rejected.
This article appears in Mar 13-19, 2019.
The only thing that will stop an evil guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. The UR Department of Public Safety are the good guys and gals. These professionals need the tools to do their job. They need to be armed to protect UR faculty, staff, visitors, and students.
Poor George. Those “good guys with a gun” included an armed guard at Columbine, armed security guards Virginia tech, to say nothing of the six armed Secret Service guys surrounding Reagan. Worked well didn’t it? Playing Wild West and packing heat may make for a Clint Eastwood movie, but in the real world the object should be to cut WAY down on the availability of firearms.
I hardly know how to respond. In my post I only agreed with expanding URs current policy of arming its peace officers so they can best protect faculty, staff, visitors, and students.
I hope Mr. OBrian was not implying that Secret Service people and Virginia Tech security guards and UR peace officers are playing Wild West. Why disparage dedicated people sworn to protect us all? On what basis?
As for the real real-world . . . . not utopia-land . . . . an evil person intent on doing violence to our fellow citizens will always find the means. For example, the madman who opened fire on members of Congress who were playing softball. The rampage stopped by two Capitol Police Officers . . . . a good guy and good gal with firearms. If the unthinkable happened in a UR facility . .. .with only unarmed peace officers present, . . . . . then how does Mr. OBrien suggest the officers respond? Harsh language?
I say again. The UR Department of Public Safety are the good guys / gals. Only a good guy with a gun can stop an evil guy with a gun. Lets give the good guys and gals the tools they need to protect us.
Poor George. He hardly knew how to respond. So he opted to respond using deflection. Obviously my reference to a “wild west” mentality was aimed at those who, like George, believe that more guns will make us safer from the hundreds of millions of firearms already out there.
Danny O’Brien – You’re damaging the self image of these John Wayne wannabes who practice their quick draw in front of a mirror every day.
No deflection here. I took a clear concise stand on the issue and will repeat it again for the final time. 1) The UR Department of Public Safety Peace Officers are the good guys and gals. 2) The ONLY thing that will stop an evil guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. 3) I agree with the UR proposal to arm additional peace officers so they can better protect UR faculty, staff, visitors and students.
Time for the backbenchers to take a stand. (Courage boys as the old hymn goes.)
If you Mr. OBrien or you Mr. Dylann were the UR President . . . . would you approve or deny the Department of Public Safetys request to provide additional Peace Officers the tools they need to protect us?
If you would opt to approve, then thank you for agreeing with me.
If you would opt to deny the Peace Officers the means to defend themselves and protect members of the UR Community . . . then what instructions would you as UR President provide the unarmed Peace Officers in the event an evil madman with a gun went on an unthinkable murderous rampage?
If your instructions were to call 911 . . . . . in ironic effect to summon good guys / gals with guns so as to stop the evil guy with the gun . . . then how many additional casualties are you willing to accept while waiting for the dedicated peace officers of Rochester Police Department to respond to campus?
The last thing U of R needs is a bunch of gun toting cop-want-a-be security guards roving around in search of adrenaline rushes. Remember George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin? If I were a black student, professor, resident, or just happen to be driving by, I’d be terrified. Just the idea that somebody proposes such a thing is troubling.
More diversion from George. No one is denying the UofR rent-a-cops the ability to protect themselves. No weaponry is being taken away from anyone. They already have 49 armed guards. No evidence exists that they need more. It’s just that the Clint Eastwood “make my day” types want to sow paranoia in order to promote their warped idea that more guns make us safer.