As student and faculty leaders begin to consider whether the school should arm University Police Department officers, many said they are reluctant to take sides until they know more information.
The University announced last month that they have formed a committee to hire a consultant and assess whether UPD should carry guns. The department is one of few unarmed sworn campus forces nationwide.
Christy Zink and Lisa Benton-Short, the co-chairs of the Faculty Senate university and urban affairs committee, both said they are waiting to learn more about the subject before making a decision.
“The nature of UPD’s enforcement is in early conversation here on campus – among faculty, students, administrators and staff alike – and in the community,” Zink said. “Given the committee’s dedication to strengthening GW’s community relationships and to connecting faculty across the University and our urban environment, this issue is likely one we’ll address in the future.”
“This seems a critical issue and one that deserves thoughtful discussion among students, faculty and staff,” Benton-Short added.
Former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said the topic arose in during his tenure, but it received little support from the D.C. government and community groups. He added that the University has access to armed police from the Metropolitan Police Department and other local forces.
“UPD calling MPD when there is a crisis that would call for weapons or the authority has seemed to work for us,” Trachtenberg said. “There are more uniformed officers in the Foggy Bottom area than many other areas, including the Parks Department, Secret Service, guards at the State Department, and the UPD chief has a good relationship with MPD.”
The former University president added that hiring a consultant is “a perfectly good idea.”
“We should look at all the pros and cons and take a look at what’s going on nationally and what is going on at comparable universities to GW,” Trachtenberg said.
A number of student leaders declined to be interviewed for this article, saying they had not taken a position on the matter.
SA Executive Vice President Kyle Boyer said he would withhold forming an opinion on arming police until more information was known.
“I will trust the decision that they make, but I am going to make sure that students’ rights are protected,” said Boyer, a junior. “My biggest concern is UPD intimidating students with guns. I don’t think busting parties in Thurston with guns is appropriate and perhaps not all of the force should be armed.”
Some students interviewed have taken sides on the issue, however.
Senior Robert Barrow, a D.C. native, said he does not support arming UPD and worried that guns would be used to resolve situations that do not necessitate lethal force.
“I don’t believe injecting more guns in this neighborhood will increase safety for students and faculty,” Barrow said.
Freshman Max Kuelzow also said he does not support giving UPD guns.
“I feel very safe on campus, and I don’t think arming them would be for the better,” Kuelzow said. “It would be more scary than helpful.”
Other students said they would support the idea under certain conditions.
“If the statistics show we need armed police officers than we should have that, but it’s a double-edged sword,” freshman Cynthia Figuera said. “If we are under that much of a threat, UPD will need to undergo more stringent training.”
Other students said they completely support arming campus police.
“I am 100 percent comfortable with the police force being armed,” sophomore Keenan Marshall said. “Other colleges arm their police forces and it seems natural that our campus would too.”
