Arming Bakersfield College Public Safety officers with guns has been debated in the past, but the Virginia Tech shootings have re-instigated the issue on campus.
In prior proposals submitted in 2004 and 2005 to the BC vice president by Mark Graf, director of BC Public Safety, it would cost, approximately, an extra $10 a month per an officer in order to arm the officers with 9mm pistols, to be carried on campus at all times.
The proposals submitted by Graf were denied. According to Graf, the response he received was that it was an issue that would be better addressed at a later time.
In an e-mail on the faculty listserve, BC history professor Randal Beeman has raised his own concerns about the issue.
Although he declined comment to the Rip, he indicated he favors arming trained personnel and wants to know how other faculty members feel about the situation.
In 2004 and 2005, Graf submitted his own proposals to the vice president of BC and both were denied.
“It’s not a matter of if it happens, it’s a matter of when,” said Graf.
Within the last 11 years, several serious assaults, two murders and two domestic kidnappings have taken place “within the confines of our area of responsibility,” said Graf.
At this time, the only recourse that BC Public Safety officers have, if someone were to use a firearm on campus, would be to call the Bakersfield Police Department.
“If they are not armed and the other person is, they can’t intervene. They can’t protect themselves and they can’t protect other people who are being victimized,” said Graf. “It’s been my experience, while something like that is taking place, seconds seem like hours.”
According to BC President William Andrews, there are strong arguments on both sides of the issue. “My experience has been that a college environment is a safer place without armed officers,” said Andrews.
Andrews has administrated at institutions with both armed and unarmed officers.
Graf is not alone in his opinion that BC public safety officers should be armed with guns.
“I think we’d be criminally na’ve to think that it wouldn’t happen here,” said BC Dean of Students Don Turney.
In the past, Turney has supported Graf’s proposals for arming the public safety officers. “Our security officers and students have a right to come home every day,” said Turney.
Outgoing legislative liaison Alan Crane stated his opinion, “If something crazy was to happen here on campus, they need to have the ability to take care of business.”
Graf said, “There is no legal reason why we are not armed.”
The California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services requires that security officers take eight hours of class time and six hours on the firing range in order to secure a license to carry a firearm.
In Graf’s proposal, he would be requiring that all public safety officers complete the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services training, and in addition take 40 hours of arrest and control training for Peace Officers Standards and Training, and 24 hours of firearms training for POST in order to get certified and qualified to carry a firearm on the BC campus. Each officer would then be reviewed every three months to demonstrate firearm safety and ability.
“I will not have anyone working here that is going to put the students, staff and faculty here at risk,” said Graf. “We have a vested interest here because we are part of the Bakersfield College family.”
According to Graf, if it was permitted for BC public safety officers to carry firearms, they could be armed within six months.
“All I’d have to do is order the guns,” said Graf.