Arming Campus Police (H 7938)

Following an active shooter scare on the campus of the University of Rhode Island in 2013, every public higher education institution in the state was given authority to decide whether or not to arm their campus police. Only the University of Rhode Island chose to do so. This legislation sought to overrule every other institution’s decision by requiring them to arm campus police, regardless of the wishes of school administrators or students. The ACLU testified in opposition to this legislation, noting that introducing armed officers to college campuses can chill academic freedom and brings with it the very real danger of tragic cases of misunderstandings and misidentifications. The committee did not vote on the legislation.