Weapons question may go to trustees at state campuses
CALIFORNIA – California University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees along with the 13 other boards of the 14 state-owned universities may soon hold the power to decide whether or not to allow campus police officers to carry firearms. The state Senate passed a revised House bill this week that would swing the responsibility from university presidents to the boards.
Two of the 14 schools – Cal U and Indiana University of Pennsylvania – do not permit their officers to carry firearms, while Clarion and Lock Haven officers carry firearms only after receiving permission from their chief and the university president. Currently, the decision to arm campus police falls on each university’s president.
The House of Representatives passed House Bill 509 – introduced by state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg – in December 2005, however that bill proposed to remove discretionary language in state law which allowed university presidents to make the decision, meaning campus police would carry firearms by law.
The most recent bill passed both chambers and has been sent to the governor for his signature. After receiving the governor’s signature, the bill would become effective 60 days later.
A spokesman for Gov. Edward G. Rendell said the governor is reviewing the legislation and “has not taken a position on the bill.”
“He thinks the strength of the bill leaves the ultimate decision in the hands of the trustees,” the spokesman said of Rendell. “The council of trustees understands the needs and concerns of a college community. Putting it in the hands of the trustees was a wise decision.”
Solobay stated in a press release that he will introduce new legislation mandating campus police to carry firearms if decisions made by the boards of trustees do not prove to keep students safe.
“Many of these campus police officers also serve as municipal police officers and carrying a weapon is not an issue for them while on duty in their boroughs or townships,” Solobay stated. “Not arming our campus police puts the security of the campus and students at risk. The purpose of my legislation was to assure parents that their children are safe when they are at any of our state-owned colleges.”
According to Cal U’s Web Site, their university police officers carry mace and if a situation warrants the need of a firearm, they make the decision to call borough or state police departments in for assistance.
During an August 2005 hearing before the House Subcommittee on Security and Emergency Response, university police officers and the president of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, encouraged lawmakers to pass Solobay’s original bill.
In a previous interview, Cal U police officer Michael Miles, who advocated for Solobay’s bill, said assisting borough police in a homicide call without a firearm prompted his advocacy. State law allows university police officers to aide borough and state police.
“I respect people’s different opinions, but we’re all trained professionals and we need the proper tools to do our job safely and effectively,” he had said previously.
Cal U spokeswoman Michele McCoy said university officials have had “no time to get all the players to the table” to discuss the matter, adding that university President Dr. Angelo Armenti has said in the past that he has “never heard a case convincing him that the campus would be safer by arming police officers.”
McCoy said the passing of responsibility from the president to the board might allow for more discussion of the matter.
“If the decision is in the hands of the trustees, then 11 people will be able to discuss the possibilities,” she noted. “They’ll bring new ideas, new perspectives to discuss how it effects the university.”