UOPD want guns: 'We can provide a higher level of service'
EUGENE, Ore. - Serve and protect is their motto, and officials with the University of Oregon Police Department say they can't fulfill that responsibility to the campus and students if they can't carry a firearm.
"We know that there's a higher level of service that we can provide to the campus community if our police officers are armed," said Kelly McIver, a spokesperson with UOPD.
He said there are basic functions in law enforcement that campus officers can't perform because they don't have guns to protect themselves.
Some of those basic functions include making traffic stops, serving search warrants, confronting armed subjects and investigating disputes. McIver said because UOPD can't respond to those calls, they are forced to call Eugene Police. Oftentimes, he said, Eugene police will have to drop what they're working on to come assist UOPD.
"We'd like to not be a burden to Eugene Police in that way," McIver said. "We'd like to be able to give campus the value that we think we can provide as a police department, and that simply means officers having all the tools at their disposal."
The ultimate decision will be left up to the university, but three forums are being held to give the campus community a chance to weigh in on the topic.
They will be held Monday, February 11, February 26, and March 6.
On Saturday the RG had a very important article related to this story in the city region section. Please read the article and report about it.
Just what we need. Â Armed campus police and college kids under the influence. Â Sounds like a recipe for excessive force abuse if you ask me!
What does McIver mean when he says an armed UOPD can provide a higher level of service? Is he suggesting that having the ability to shoot students is providing a higher level of service? That's a load of BS. No security force at an Oregon university needs to be armed. That's absolute insanity. Arming these rent-a-cops will lead to a disaster of huge proportions, as in dead kids. Being a drunk, obnoxious, and mouthy punk at a loud party is irritating, but not a capital crime. If I were a parent with children at the UO, the day the campus cops started carrying firearms would be the day I pulled my kids out.
They can have guns when the students are allowed to.
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 @calriv Students can have firearms (per Oregon senate) despite what U of O tries to tell you.
When was the last time the University Police needed to use deadly force? It sounds like Barney Fife wants to pull the bullet Andy makes him keep in his pocket out and use it.
So they weren't able to "serve and protect" before? Â This is a solution that's looking for a problem, as there haven't been any issues that have required armed protection, and response from Eugene PD hasn't been lacking. Â There's a good reason why the students and faculty are highly opposed to the idea.