The recent mass shootings across the country have raised questions of the best ways to combat them, including whether or not our Roger Williams University Department of Public Safety officers should be allowed to carry guns on campus. 

 

Public Safety’s job, according to the RWU website, is “to provide a safe and secure environment.” Now, Public Safety is underprepared to deal with an active shooter situation due to a lack of being armed. Most mass shootings that have taken place over the last decade are easy to stop mainly due to the presence of armed individuals. Most universities and colleges across the U.S. allow their public safety officials to carry firearms on campus for the protection of the students and staff.

 

Adding to the reasons of why Public Safety should be allowed to carry, many of the current Public Safety officers at RWU are former police officers, and therefore have some of the best training and know the law, solidifying their ability to carry a firearm in the state of Rhode Island. Also, if Public Safety thinks they can keep us safe in this day and age, unarmed, it is a fallacy.