Q:  I am currently conducting research regarding factors impacting the employment of armed campus police officers and their effect on overall campus safety, and would appreciate greatly your input. If you would be willing to assist in my research, please provide your response to the following:

a. The arming of campus police officers is inconsistent with the learning environment;
b. The arming of campus law enforcement officers only invites more weapons to the campus environment;
c. Armed campus law enforcement officers, if anything, may precipitate a violent situation rather than prevent it.


A:

a. Order, security, serenity, respect for fellow students persons and property...I believe those qualities are consistent with the learning environment. Chaos, insecurity, fear, lack of respect for property and life...those are the qualities inconsistent with the learning environment. A professional, highly visible and highly proactive security force will have the effect of offering protection for students and staff allowing for the learning environment to continue.

b. In a technical sense the answer is yes, because each armed officer has a weapon that has now been introduced to the campus. But the overall effect of an armed professional security force should be that of alleviating the need for students to bring their own weapons to campus and it should persuade bad guys with weapons to leave in search of other "gun-free zones" like schools and city parks. Armed security and armed citizens do not "attract" more weapons any more than a spare tire "attracts" more flats.

c. A professional armed security force decreases violent crime, it does not increase it. That is a gross non-sequiter if ever there was one. I suggest you research Dr. Gary Kleck's work. The armed citizen and armed security officer prevent millions of crimes each year without any violence at all.

Follow Up Q:

Mr. Parker,

THANK YOU! Your responses are EXACTLY what we have been telling people for at least 8 years.

I am a certified police officer (Shift Lieutenant on nights) at a New England area state college where we are trying for the third time in as many years to have legislation changed so that we may carry on duty. Current law provides for off-duty carry only.

I posed these questions as they are the cumulative reasons (or excuses) that the administration has been giving for not considering the matter or even discussing it.