The Iowa Board of Regents passed a new comprehensive security plan that will, among other things, permit campus police officers to carry firearms.

Cmdr. Gene Deisinger of the ISU Police said the new policy is multifaceted.

“The training and arming of university police officers was one subsection of the overall policy that was submitted by the board,” Deisinger said.

The Board of Regents started the process with a review of the existing safety and security measures and then solicited opinions on what other things needed to be done to reform campus safety measures, Deisinger said.

“Many states have started this review process; what the regents have done is codified these new policies,” Deisinger said.

There are several major safety and security areas covered in the new policy, including the implementation of an emergency communication program.

“These are going to be multi-modality systems through voice mail, text message and e-mail to provide instructions on how to respond,” Deisinger said.

According to the security policy, each university is also going to have to have an “early identification” program that will help to identify people who pose a threat to themselves or others.

“We’ve actually be doing that since 1994 with a formal process. We’re in a good position on this,” Deisinger said.

The security policy also outlines a set of requirements involving the safety requirements of having an open campus and the ability to provide security for people on campus.

According to the security policy, each university has to “maintain a comprehensive set of programs, procedures, systems and operations.”

There will also be strategies developed to protect “critical infrastructures and key assets on campuses.”

“The University of Iowa would arm 32 officers; ISU, 31; and UNI,18,” according to the policy.

Dave Zarifis, director of public safety at the University of Northern Iowa, said his campus community has had open forums with the president that covered a lot of the issues that come with arming campus police.

“I think that some view it as a philosophical issue that weapons should not be on campus,” Zarifis said.

He said people should look at it from the view that officers are going to face dangerous situations in which they need to be armed.

Brian Phillips, senior in political science and president of the Government of Student Body, said the GSB was pleased that the regents had addressed the issue of arming police.

“Students were clearly in support of arming the officers, the PA systems, crisis management, interventions and things of that nature,” Phillips said.

He said in August some student leaders at all three state universities conducted surveys at the behest of the Board of Regents to see how students reacted to the idea of arming police.

“At all three there was about 60 percent that agreed or strongly said that the police should carry arms, all three expressed overwhelming support,” Phillips said.