Should Campus Safety be armed?

By Erik Hesla

As the horrific details of the Virginia Tech murders continue to bombard us, it is easy to feel utterly helpless. I am angered by the carnage a single psychotic individual was able to inflict upon dozens of innocent civilians. I am saddened that the only defense these students had were a few overturned tables. I am disappointed with the lack of initiative shown by the police and the school administration to take serious measures after two students were found murdered two whole hours before the second wave of shootings.

Now, I do not necessarily blame any particular individual for being unable to respond in an effective way because I realize hindsight is 20/20. I think the cards were stacked against them, so to speak, from the beginning. Students today simply do not have adequate protection, especially when faced with gun-related violence.

Why are schools so vulnerable to gun-related violence?

First, they are full of unarmed people and are therefore easy targets for someone bent on indiscriminate killing. When an individual with a gun threatens individuals without guns, the individual with the gun will get his way.

Second, the primary source of defense used on college campuses usually involves a combination of policemen and security guards. The problem with relying on the police is that they are not bodyguards, nor should they be. Their job revolves around reporting incidences of crime and enforcing the law. Hence, they cannot always be relied upon to constantly monitor a campus and be ready to respond at a moment's notice.

Many security guards, including the ones at Santa Clara, function as semi-bodyguards and can respond quite quickly to a dangerous situation. Yet, they are sometimes themselves unarmed. Thus, through no fault of their own, they do not stand much better of a chance to stop a gunman than a large group of students.

So, what can colleges do about the threat of gun-related violence toward its students, faculty and campus community?

It is first important to recognize that colleges cannot protect everyone at all times against violent gun crime. Short of allowing everyone on campus access to guns, which clearly has its own dangers, absolute security is impossible. Yet, I also think that the stringent "no gun" policies that many colleges enforce are also dangerous.

I believe there is a relatively simple and non-controversial way to reduce the incidents of gun-related crime on campuses without introducing significant gun-related dangers. If colleges had armed (and well-trained) security guards on duty at all times on campus, they could respond to potentially dangerous situations quickly and efficiently without worrying about students themselves using guns as a method of defense.

Another added advantage of having armed security guards on college campuses is that they can accompany people who feel unsafe walking on campus -- especially at night -- for whatever reason.

Considering the staggering amount of rapes and assaults that occur every year on college campuses nationwide, I think having armed security guards is a considerable advantage for safety as a whole and is not only justified in the prevention of gun-related incidences.

Undoubtedly, many individuals would object to having armed security guards on college campuses because those people believe gun control measures are a better method to deal with violent gun-related crime. I respectfully disagree.

For example, if we enact more strict gun control measures, it will succeed in disarming law-abiding citizens. Yet those who blatantly disregard the law (like a gun-toting murderer) will remain armed. In essence, we will be creating a situation that places innocent civilians in danger. So, even though the goal of eliminating gun-related crime is something we all strive for, I doubt it can be achieved through methods of control.

The reality of gun-related crime forces colleges around the country to decide how they will protect their faculty and students. I hope that by adding armed security guards to protect our campuses we can avoid any future school shootings like that at Virginia Tech and preserve the safety of our fellow citizens.

Erik Hesla is a sophomore economics and philosophy double major.