University of Virginia Library

Arms And Police

It was with interest that I read
your paper's articles concerning
the Student Council's request to
the Department of Security that
the Department "instruct its
patrolmen to end the practice
of carrying firearms." This is an
absurd suggestion to be advanced
by the University Student Council,
but in an era when the open
use of marijuana is proposed,
nothing surprises me at this University
any more.

Since being graduated from
the University, I have seen, in
an increasing percentage of the
student body, the fall of the
"tradition" of the coat and tie,
not to mention the normal habits
of wearing socks, personal cleanliness,
and traditional haircuts.
In fact, as I hear and see more,
I am with reservation beginning
to lose pride in the fact that I
was graduated from the University.

The Maryland incident is cited
as a reason for disarming the
Security Force. If you are so
concerned about the students'
safety, do away with the alcohol
and cars; they appear to be
slightly more dangerous. The incident
in Orange County a couple
of weeks ago may be reason
enough to be armed — a trooper
was shot as he got out of his
car. The facts are that a law
enforcement officer never knows
when the need for a firearm may
arise, and neither do you nor the
Student Council.

The Department of Security
has the primary responsibilities of
protecting the student body and
the University facilities from any
form of destructive violence. As
the University is located in an
urban area at the intersection of
two major U.S. Highways, there
can be no effective exclusion of
undesirable individuals from the
University grounds. This alone
should be sufficient reason for
the Security Department to be
armed and adequately trained in
the use of firearms.

I would hate to see the University
become another Berkeley
because of the misguided efforts
of inexperienced youngsters or
the selfish interests of publicity
seeking "intellectuals" or
"pseudo-intellectuals." In the last
analysis, a law enforcement officer,
either at a University or
outside of a University, must be
prepared for any eventuality,
whether it be smiling at a harmless
panty raid or coping with a
University of Texas sniping
slaughter.