W&J arming police with handguns, body cameras
Washington & Jefferson College police officers soon will be equipped with handguns and body cameras.
Richard T. Clark, chairman of the college board of trustees, said in a statement released Friday the decision was made Oct. 9 to arm officers in the Office of Campus & Public Safety (CPS) for the safety and security of members of the campus community. Procedures to implement the action are underway.
Clark said the board spent almost a year making the decision, taking input from faculty, staff and students, and considering national and regional data.
“The decision to provide sidearms to sworn police officers enables these members of the CPS staff to provide higher levels of protection in areas they patrol and allows for an even more effective response to threatening situations,” Clark said.
Campus officers are graduates of certified law enforcement academies and received firearms instruction as part of their training. They will be expected to complete annual qualifications for firearms safety, exceeding the state requirement for qualification every five years. Non-sworn officers of CPS will continue to provide security functions and will not be armed.