If the opinion page of the Brown Daily Herald is any indication, the issue of arming police officers at Brown University is becoming one of the more divisive topics in recent months. In recent dissenting editorials, the paper voiced both support and opposition for the armament. The editors are as divided as the rest of the campus.

The debate began last semester after an increase in violent crime in and around Brown. Currently, Brown officers are not allowed to engage a suspect wielding a deadly weapon. They must wait for Providence Police backup, despite the fact that Brown and Providence officers graduate from the same police academy.

Students, faculty, and staff continue to sound off on the issue through letters and editorials in the Herald, as well as in campus forums. Some say that as trained officers without guns, Brown police are unable to fulfill their duties. Others note that most crimes are committed with no officer in sight, so the real solution might be to increase police presence.

The debate itself is more than 10 years old. During contract negotiations in 1992, the police union requested arming the Brown force. An ad hoc committee, which formed to study the impact, concluded that Brown was not ready for guns, and the administration denied the union's request. Students supported the decision, as they did again in 1995 when the issue was revisited.

Now, the issue has returned after a series of assaults and robberies, and the outcome remains unclear. Brown police have increased nightly patrols and the university has contracted more Providence officers to remain in the area, but many on the East Side feel that a more significant change is in order. The Brown student council recently issued a statement supporting arming campus police as an element of a solution, not the solution itself. Students Against Guns at Brown, an opposition group present both in 1992 and 1995, continues to express its concerns over arming police. After gathering input, Brown President Ruth Simmons is expected to announce a decision on the issue shortly.

Issue Date: March 1 - 7, 2002