Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, IA
07-19-07
State mum on campus guns issue
By TODD DORMAN / Courier Des Moines Bureau
DES MOINES --- State leaders released a report on security at Iowa's universities Thursday while leaving a controversial decision on whether to arm campus police officers in the hands of school presidents and the Board of Regents.
The assessment --- ordered in the wake of shootings on the Virginia Tech University campus in April --- calls on the state's three universities to beef up training for campus police, expand education efforts and use new technologies to warn students of real and potential threats.
But the report is silent on the issue of whether certified campus officers should carry guns. Current rules allow them to carry firearms only in emergencies and only with authorization from the university's president.
Some state lawmakers have called for a change in that policy, arguing that armed officers would be better able to deal with a campus emergency. The Board of Regents will take up the debate at its August meeting, where it's expected to ask university presidents to make a recommendation on the issue this fall.
"The university presidents really believe this ought to be a campus discussion," said Gary Steinke, executive director of the Board of Regents.
Public safety directors at the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa each favor arming their officers, who they contend undergo the same certification process as other Iowa peace officers.
"These are trained police professionals, and they're the only ones in the state who are not armed," said Chuck Green, public safety director at the U of I.
Dave Zarifis, director of public safety at UNI and a 30-year law enforcement veteran, also supports arming officers.
"Certainly what we're going to do is provide the information and allow the Board of Regents and the presidents to do what they need to do and wait for the outcome," Zarifis said. "That's the process and we'll honor that process."
Off campus, state Public Safety Commissioner Gene Meyer said he favors arming campus officers, who sometimes work with state troopers and agents.
"If they're backing our officers up, I would like to see them armed," Meyer said.
But Gov. Chet Culver's administration is not taking a formal position on the issue. Lt. Gov. Patty Judge said they will go along with what the regents decide.
Steinke said he's not sure which way the board will go. He said public sentiment on the gun debate is split, based on e-mail his office has received.
"I don't know where public opinion is," Steinke said. "The regents won't make a decision based on public opinion."
The assessment made several recommendations for changes in security procedures on campuses.
In general, the report urged the schools to create indoor and outdoor, voice-capable warning systems to alert students to various threats. It also recommended creating text-messaging systems to warn students via their cell phones and other devices.
At UNI, the report recommended the expansion of a Critical Incident Team to respond to threats and the development of a training program on campus to help identify individuals who may pose a risk.
At Iowa State, the report recommended improvements in emergency communications, including the installation of indoor and outdoor warning sirens and the use of campus TV, radio and computers to issue alerts.
"By and large, our campus communities are safe, but there's always room for improvement," said Jerry Stewart, director of public safety at ISU. "And we need to prepare for the possibility, not simply the probability."
Contact Todd Dorman at (515) 243-0138 or at