Should campus security keep guns for safety?

A little over a year has passed since the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College, with nine victims dead and as many wounded, according to nbcnews.com. MHCC and other colleges have had time to ponder possibilities of shootings, and to consider what can be done to prevent or minimize the risks of another one.

The risk of a campus shooting happening is very real. According to the guardian.com and gunviolencearchive.org, mass shootings in the U.S. happen on five out of six days (a mass shooting is when four or more people are shot in one incident, according to gunviolencearchive.org). More importantly, what can be done about it?

The chance of a school shooting on any one campus may be unlikely, statistically: According to decodedscience.org there are about 0.02 shootings for every 100,000 hours of classes. But the reality is, they do occur.

Allowing students to carry guns for self-defense is a proposition we, at The Advocate, considered to help students feel more safe. Campus security employees carrying firearms was also a possibility we weighed, as well as allowing students to carry other forms of self-defense, such as a Taser or mace.

The notion of guns on campus is a sharply divisive one. Some say that guns should be allowed, because people have the right to defend themselves at all times. It goes along with the saying, “When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.” This could be true in certain cases, especially in rural areas where the nearest police officer might be more than 15 minutes away.

The other side of the argument is that more guns just create more danger in crowded places. On this campus, in Gresham, police and Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies can usually handle things quickly if things get dangerous. If there are too many guns on campus, the training of a “defensive” shooter is uncertain and could lead to chaos and confusion during a shooting incident.

As for arming campus security guards with firearms, the idea is realistic. Perhaps we could add some security officers to the MHCC staff who are properly trained in handling firearms, or even train current officers, if they aren’t already. College officials also could work with local law enforcement to make sure there is dedicated police protection here, the same as high schools and elementary schools in the area.

Having armed security or a police presence on campus would make particular sense because many students are adults who can legally purchase firearms, as opposed to high schoolers who are still minors.

The notion that guns should not be allowed on campus does not, however, mean that students should be deprived of any means for self-defense. Items like mace or a Taser should be acceptable. In most cases, any attacker will not politely wait for the police to arrive; certainly not an active shooter.

Guns, in general, are an emotionally charged issue, and the chance of an active shooting on campus will remain with us. Allowing Mt. Hood students to carry firearms will not be of much help, and will most likely add to the problem. On the contrary, armed security or an increased police presence could be a good idea. And any student should not be prevented from having some means for self-defense.

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