GWU Told to Arm All - Not Just Some - Police

WASHINGTON - March 9, 2025 - PRLog -- George Washington University [GWU] has been told that, as a result of a lengthy outside investigation of its campus safety and security, it should arm all of its campus police; not just a few of them as is now the case.

In no uncertain language, the expensive expert report strongly recommended that "the university consider arming all sworn officers to more adequately protect public safety." [emphasis added]

Strangely, even this tiny step towards increasing campus safety was opposed by some faculty who wanted no guns on campus.  No doubt they will be even more irrationally outraged by this new recommendation to arm the remaining members of the police force, suggests GWU's public interest law professor John Banzhaf.

But fortunately neither the GWU administration nor its Trustees listened to faculty who suggest that Kumbaya is the answer to a gunman mowing down students in classrooms; and that - contrary to the conclusions of the overwhelming majority of universities - arming police would not help to reduce the carnage, notes Banzhaf.

Although many of the objectors teach only Writing, Arts & Design, Studio Art, Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies, etc.,they did not hesitate to opine that this proposal would not improve safety.

Their suggestions seemed to amount to little more than Kumbaya, says Banzhaf, who, unlike the members who simply did not like guns, has actual experience as a security officer and security consultant, and who recently conducted and then published a detailed study (https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=202210...) of how universities can and should protect against deadly shooters on campus.

But, as Prof Banzhaf points out, deranged-shooter-on-campus situations elsewhere have been resolved and many lives saved only by the use of deadly force – either to neutralize the shooter or to pressure him to shoot himself – and not by deep empathy, dignity illumination and enhancement, intervention skills, or nonviolent communication.

Moreover, their conclusion that having campus police with firearms isn't an effective means of protection is contrary to the conclusions of the great majority of universities which have wisely chosen to arm some or even all of their campus police, says Banzhaf.

So it remains to be seen whether GWU's administrators and trustees will stick to their guns (pun intended) and follow the expert report's recommendation, or back down because of howls of dismay from those who dislike (and probably don't understand) guns and their value in defending people and property.

As Banzhaf points out, most universities, as well as most government buildings, corporate headquarters, and even a growing number of places of worship employ personnel who are armed with guns and not empathy.

http://banzhaf.net/  jbanzhaf3@gmail.com