R.I. Senate Judiciary discusses putting guns in hands of URI police

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.

"It should be integrated with the management philosophy," Wyman said, but added that disagreements with the state aren't a problem.

He explained that the committee has a "noble objective" in mind, and both parties are concerned about the specifics of the bill.

Maurano said that the BOG has been active in trying to prevent situations that would warrant firearms, such as the Virginia Tech shootings. State-of-the-art security systems have been installed, in addition to alert systems such as the university text-message system at URI.

He cited specific examples when these security measures were used, such as the bomb threat in Independence Hall on March 3. "We used the system to notify students," Maurano said. "And that worked to everybody's satisfaction."

Joee Lindbeck, from the Legislation and Policy Unit of the R.I. Attorney General's office, also spoke in opposition to the legislation. She said that the bill needs to be more closely examined, and the wording may have to be "crafted" before being passed.

Lindbeck cited the example of Brown University, whose police carry firearms, and are called "Peace Officers," which entails different criteria than other terms for police.

Wyman said that while URI police are qualified, training is a concern.

"We want to have a high level of confidence in the broad spectrum of training," Wyman said. He added that all 24 URI police have been through the municipal training academy, and many have qualifications to carry firearms.