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Posted by: Nightstalker

http://telegram.com/article/20071024...710240629/1116


WORCESTER— The president of Worcester State College will recommend to the college’s board of trustees next month that campus police be armed, but first will meet with students, faculty and staff to discuss the issue.

WSC President Janelle C. Ashley is to meet today at 3 p.m. in the Blue Lounge of the college’s student center to answer students’ questions. One group sure to arrive is WSC Students Against Arming Campus Police, which was formed through a Web site.

Michael S. Wronski, interim director of public relations and marketing, said Ms. Ashley authorized a study of the issues surrounding the college’s ability to respond to critical incidents.

Worcester State College Police Chief Rosemary F. Naughton submitted a report earlier in the year stating that the college’s ability to respond to critical incidents is compromised because campus police are unarmed and it takes roughly 20 minutes for city or state police to respond.

“As we examined our capabilities for emergency response, one area of critical concern was our ability to respond to emergencies such as Virginia Tech in a timely way,” said Ms. Ashley. “As you know, Worcester State borders the outskirts of the city and we calculate that the state police would take up to 20-30 minutes to respond and the Worcester city police 15-20 minutes. We have learned that a rapid emergency response is a critically important factor in containing serious incidents in which students or staff are in danger.”

Amanda S. Couture, a 22-year-old commuter from Spencer, is a member of the group opposed to arming the campus police.

“One of the big reasons I came to Worcester State is because their police are unarmed,” the sophomore said. “Guns just make me very nervous to have on campus. I think it will change the atmosphere of Worcester State to do this.”

In a letter Ms. Couture is sending to several campus officials she writes, “One of by far my largest concerns is the sudden need to arm our campus police. One has to wonder if this is solely in response to the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and while campus police have reassured the student body that this is not the case, I fear that this may be false.”

Her letter poses several questions, including: “Why the sudden fear? Is there something campus police are withholding from the student body that we need to know? Are we in any kind of immediate danger and, if so, why are we not being informed?”

Mr. Wronski cited the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the mass shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado as evidence of a changing world and why WSC needed to take a proactive look at campus safety.

“Certainly the president is looking at this very seriously,” he said. “We want to make sure people understand why such a recommendation is being made and people’s questions are answered.”

Several colleges in the area already have armed security officers, including Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assumption College, Becker College and Clark University.

“We’re kind of behind the other state colleges and local colleges,” Mr. Wronski said. The president will make her recommendation to the board on Nov. 8. The board’s approval is needed to implement the plan.

There was a meeting last week with the student government association and, in addition to today’s session with students, there will be session tomorrow with faculty and staff.

In April, college officials met with Worcester police to discuss campus security in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings. One of the main topics was “active shooter response,” involving use of emergency personnel immediately trying to neutralize a threat, such as an armed individual. At that meeting, many of the colleges said they would train in “active shooter response,” which requires that officers be armed.

Campus Police Chief Naughton did not return a telephone call yesterday.

A fact sheet provided by WSC lists several advantages to arming police officers, including the ability immediately to respond and contain a critical incident; enabling college officers, who are more familiar with campus issues, to better control a critical incident; reinforcing perceptions that campus officers are “real” police officers and not simply security forces; and ensuring a safe living and learning environment.

Ms. Couture recalled that during the entire Virginia Tech tragedy in the spring, “I continued to attend my classes within buildings that still made me feel safe. At no moment in time did I feel unsafe. In fact, it was the continual presence of the campus police unarmed that perpetuated my feelings of safety,” she wrote in her letter. “Why now is there a need to change what has been working? My greater fear is that due to the arming of campus security there will be students who feel they too should be allowed to arm themselves. Gun fire draws gun fire and it will always be that way.”

The college’s statement noted that its officers are trained in the Campus Police Academy at the Massachusetts State Police Training Academy. Officers must undergo screening and pass agility tests, examinations, background investigation and a physical and psychological exam.

The college further states the majority of the offices “have previously been armed or are armed while working for other police agencies.”

If the college police become armed they will undergo additional training.

“In a perfect world,” Ms. Ashley said, “this would not be necessary. But we have to deal with realities we face.”



--- This is the best part of the entire article!

“One of the big reasons I came to Worcester State is because their police are unarmed,” the sophomore said. “Guns just make me very nervous to have on campus. I think it will change the atmosphere of Worcester State to do this.”

Well when shes getting violated by the armed shitheads that roam the city and WSCPD waits for Worcester PD before they respond because they aren't armed... she will change her tone! Have we not learned anything from virginia tech?

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Posted by: Killjoy

Quote:

Gun fire draws gun fire and it will always be that way.”

I wonder if the unarmed Virginia Tech students and faculty would agree with that statement? How about the Jews in the Polish Ghettos during WWII? Maybe if all these damn armies and police officers disarmed then this world would be free of violence....

The absurd thinking of a liberal moonbat with her head in the clouds. Honey, let me clue you into something...this world we live in is a dangerous place, and without the "rough men" out there, armed and ready to do violence to those who would take advantage of the weaker people (i.e. you), the only thing that you would be worried about is how to survive another night among the wolves.

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Posted by: masscopguy

This woman decided to go to WSC because the Campus Police were unarmed? I wondered if she got into Harvard or MIT would she have gone elsewhere because the cops there carry guns?

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Posted by: Nightstalker

Quote:

Originally Posted by masscopguy This woman decided to go to WSC because the Campus Police were unarmed? I wondered if she got into Harvard or MIT would she have gone elsewhere because the cops there carry guns?

Well Duh!!! Who would go to a college with armed officers anyway!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idiot living in a closet Gun fire draws gun fire and it will always be that way.”

Its a proven fact that if we stripped every LEO of his/her firearm... the world would be a safer place for all! Good luck playing cops and robbers with bart simpsons slingshot!

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Posted by: csauce777

Quote:

Originally Posted by masscopguy This woman decided to go to WSC because the Campus Police were unarmed? I wondered if she got into Harvard or MIT would she have gone elsewhere because the cops there carry guns?

No shit...what a douchebag she is...

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Posted by: Inspector

This woman decided to go to WSC because the Campus Police were unarmed?

Another major life decision based on sound judgement!

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Posted by: countryboy

I love how these liberal wack jobs don't think of the officers safety at all. they try to interpret what a campus police officer is with there own foggy mentality believing because they are a cop for a college there is no way that they will be handling anything that would put them in a dangerous situation. Police chiefs shouldn't need events like VT to happen to use as a point to arm there officers. they should just drive the fact that the police have to handle a large range of duties and the simplest call can turn deadly. a large tragedy like VT shouldn't be the sole reason for being a armed LEO. no matter where you work as a LEO, theres that potential that something could happen where you will need to defend yourself, and some liberal adminstrator or student shouldn't have the say on whether you can properly protect yourself.

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Posted by: bag-o-bones

Lets just say if they vote it down I can see alot of those officers at WSCPD leaving the place high and dry.

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Posted by: cpl-punishment

let be reasonable about this. When crime happens tell the criminal to wait while armed police show up. this issue is a joke I heard Memorial Hospital in worcester got the green light to get guns too. Is anyone saying anything about that. Thats a hospital why would you need guns near sick people?

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Posted by: 94c

What's up with the major Boston hospitals?

Are they armed?

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Posted by: rg1283

Besides the VA and BIDMC in Boston, I don't think any other hospitals are armed in Boston. Plus if the T&G had any editors they would realize that they are POLICE officers not security officers. Listening to WBZ 1030 AM the day Brandeis made their announcment on arming, half of the callers didn't even know if their school they (or their kids) went to were armed. Judging by the statements by that idiot girl, I doubt she went through all the web sits and said, hey I'm a smart girl I want to be a genetic bio engineer, oh no WPI has guns! Can't go there...

One good thing about the Virgina tech incident (if anything) is it might have helped speed the way towards arming campus police. I never thought I would hear of Brandeis being armed. Most of these groups against being armed are very poorly educated on the matter and it is doubtful that they could put together a solid argument without some outside help from a professor.

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Posted by: SinePari

I'm not sure if WSC has a mutual aid agreement with WPD or they must wait for the MSP to help out (state property). On one night a week, there is at least ONE armed trooper there .

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Posted by: Sgt Jack

So she picked a college because the cops were unarmed....so what town is she going to move when she graduates cause last time I looked there's not a city or town in the commonwealth that doesn't have an armed police force....The first mistake was allowing student input....as most of these kids have no clue about what goes on out there...and their opinion is based on feeling instead of hard facts....Ironiclly they have fires on college campus too from time to time but I never see them arguing about having sprinklers or fire drills....I won't even begin get into the whole "Security and Police" words being commonly interchanged this morning.....as I've been in a mood for the past few day

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Posted by: countryboy

These students like to believe that the officers are not "real police" despite having the word police on there uniforms because of there narrow minded mentality about what campus policing entails. Its sad if these administrators take what these students say as fact. if your job is a Police officer on a campus you should have the right to protect yourself like any other officer in a city or town. Arming a police department shouldn't be up for debate, it should be a standardized tool or just eliminate college police officers all together. I wish the College chiefs just would get together and start speaking out more to end this BS that goes on in these colleges.

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Posted by: sgtsmithers

"Thats a hospital why would you need guns near sick people?"


1. It's kind of like when you take old yella' to the Vet and his treatment will cost $1750 initially, then $275 per month thereafter versus that little side room where he gets the needle for $79 and you get a trashbag of old yella' to go.
2. Besides sick people need to be protected more than healthy liberal college students who can out run a maniac (typically one of their own) with a gun.
3. The chick that is concerned at WSC is another nut job from Spencer---SHOCKER. Didn't Spencer get a shiny new Police Dept last time too many people bitched and complained?
4. Let's not put down a Campus Police agency that was able to get approval to be armed. I would think it would help the argument for other police agencies fighting to be armed if every other department around the City were armed. Tell RH he'll make a fine Northboro PO and maybe they will let him carry. Maybe.

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Posted by: Nightstalker

Students give input on arming police
http://telegram.com/article/20071025...710250670/1101
Issue to be taken up by WSC trustees

WORCESTER— Worcester State College officials are getting an earful from students about whether to arm campus police, but the students aren’t speaking with one voice.

At a meeting with the student government association last week, many students started out undecided on the issue but were convinced that arming the 16-officer police force was necessary, said student body president Tracy Pilch.

Yesterday, on the other hand, college President Janelle C. Ashley and Worcester State College Police Chief Rosemary F. Naughton held a forum for students in general. About 40 showed up, and most spoke against the idea.


“Why do we need to change what’s working?” Amanda S. Couture of Spencer said to applause.

Another student asked how many times the campus police have used pepper spray in the seven years Chief Naughton has been on campus. Zero times, she told him.

“Then why do you need guns?” he and others asked.

Those in opposition said they would feel less safe with armed police, worried that arming officers would make campus criminals more likely to be armed, or were philosophically opposed to the idea, saying the campus should direct its energy at ways to prevent incidents when a gun might be needed.

“Why are we not sitting here talking about what we can do to bring peace” to the campus, asked Christopher J. Hoey of Holden.

Those who support the idea, including Ms. Pilch, said it just makes sense to be prepared. “I have AAA on my car. I’ve never had to use it,” she said. “It’s just there just in case.”

It is up to the college’s board of trustees to decide the issue, and the trustees are scheduled to take it up at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8. One of the board’s voting members is a student, Brandon Huggon of Westport, and he said he will vote in accordance with what most students want. He is holding office hours today and Monday to hear from more students.

Today, college leaders were scheduled to meet with faculty about the issue.

The proposal to arm campus police began earlier this year, before the Virginia Tech shootings, and was the result of changing times and concerns about city and state response times, Ms. Ashley said. As things stand now, if campus police are called to a situation in which an armed person might be involved, they wait for another agency to arrive before entering, Chief Naughton said.

Local colleges that have armed campus police include Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Assumption College, Becker College and Clark University. Some state college police are armed (Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Salem and Westfield), while others are not (Framingham, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy).

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Posted by: Zorba222

Ms. Couture should feel free to apply to the Univsersity of Never-Never Land where all people are good and nice. I'm sure there she can feel "secure" and not threatened. HAVE A WONDERFUL LIBERAL LIFE YOU FRIGGIN FREAK!!!!!

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Posted by: mpd61

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nightstalker Students give input on arming police http://telegram.com/article/20071025...710250670/1101 Issue to be taken up by WSC trustees WORCESTER— “Why are we not sitting here talking about what we can do to bring peace” to the campus, asked Christopher J. Hoey of Holden.

Finally, a student with a clear and focused solution to the problems of today's society!

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Posted by: cpl-punishment

Her only solution is taking a ride in a yellow submarine where her friends all all aboard, and many more of them live next door and when her band begins to play in her yellow submarine. what kind of world does she live in or what pills are she taking I want some.

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Posted by: Mitpo62

Worcester must be the new Cambridge. Geeeesh!

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Posted by: RPD931

Finally a student with her head on straight, I like this one..

Quote:

Those who support the idea, including Ms. Pilch, said it just makes sense to be prepared. “I have AAA on my car. I’ve never had to use it,” she said. “It’s just there just in case.”

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