In the wake of a shooting at Morgan State University that injured four students and one other person, a D.C. college is reevaluating its options for keeping its campus safe.
In the coming months, administrators at American University said they will take a long look at the possibility of arming on-campus police officers, and there are other options on the table.
Currently, on-campus police are trained in de-escalation and carry less lethal options, the university said. But after what happened in Baltimore on Tuesday night, they’re considering changes.
Students who spoke to News4 on Wednesday offered mixed responses.
“For the most part I think it’s pretty safe, like it’s common that people who don’t go to school here walk on campus and stuff, but for the most part it’s pretty safe,” student Grace Chen said.
On Wednesday, AU sent a letter to students and faculty, outlining the university’s extensive safety plan that is currently in place and presenting possible options for the future.
The letter said that even though it’s a tough topic, “one of several questions we will explore is whether AUPD officers should be armed with lethal force weapons.”
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Though it’s still early in the discussion, the university said it is constantly looking for ways to improve safety through better technology and communication.
“I’m kind of shocked that, you know, the situation has gotten to this point, but if that’s what they think is going to keep us safe,” student Curt Gammer said. “If you have the right consultation and they say, yeah, we need to be strapped up… then that’s just what needs to happen.”
Student Calvin Feustel wasn’t so keen on the idea.
“I don’t know. I don’t think that’s a great idea. I just think it’s unnecessary to put more guns out there,” Feustel said.
Administrators said they will spend the next few months getting feedback about the options they’re considering. They include:
- maintaining the current approach of unarmed campus police,
- issuing firearms to officers and supervisors,
- staging firearms in vehicles for threat situations,
- or introducing less-than-lethal options that could be used in situations involving armed intruders.
“The fourth one sounds like the best protocol. You can go with Tasers, things like that, like spray,” student John Harding said.
George Washington University recently decided to arm officers on campus, while schools like the University of Maryland, Howard University, George Mason University and Catholic University have some sort of armed police presence.
"To be clear, no decision has been made on this question, and it has not been determined that our overall safety approach requires a change," AU said.
Administrators said that after they get all of the information they need over the next few months, they will present it to the board at the beginning of the spring semester.
