The University of Northern Iowa Student Government recently passed a resolution in support of arming UNI Department of Public Safety officers.

Overwhelming support within the student group led to a 31-5-1 vote in favor of the resolution Nov. 17, said UNI Student Government President Nick Arnold.

DPS officers at UNI, as at the University of Iowa and Iowa State, undergo the same training as police officers. However, DPS officers are not permitted to carry firearms.

“Currently, the Department of Public Safety officers can’t enter any situation that may possibly involve a weapon,” Arnold said.

At UNI, if a potentially dangerous situation with weapons is suspected, DPS officers have to contact the Cedar Falls Police Department, which shares a mutual-aid agreement with the university DPS. This procedure dramatically delays response time, Arnold said.

“[The police] could be there in four minutes or they could be there in 30 minutes,” he said. “Or they might not be able to come at all because they’re too busy.”

ISU DPS has the same policy through a mutual-aid agreement with the Ames Police Department, said Loras Jaeger, director of DPS.

Several minor incidents prompted the UNI Student Government to consider this resolution, Arnold said.

“There have been a lot of little situations where [DPS] wasn’t able to get involved,” he said. “Luckily, nothing major has happened.”

Student support for arming UNI DPS officers has been building gradually, Arnold said.

“The first response of most people is ‘no,'” he said. “The more you look into it and the more information you get, the more people feel it is necessary.”

For example, Arnold said, many UNI students weren’t aware of the limits placed on DPS officers or that they are trained police officers. This information tends to sway student opinion, he said.

After the approval of the UNI Student Government’s resolution, it was sent to the UNI administration and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. Much support must be generated before it can take effect, Arnold said.

However, this support will meet the opposition of administrators at Iowa’s three regent universities — UNI, U of I and ISU, said Matt Craft, ISU Government of the Student Body president.

In addition, the regents, who have the ultimate vote on the issue, have decided not to discuss the topic this year, Craft said.

“It’s still lacking the support of the people with the final decision,” he said.

Until it becomes an issue at ISU, GSB has decided to follow suit with the board.

“I have no plans to start a discussion about it because it’s a debate that won’t get us anywhere,” Craft said.

Craft said the three universities and cities are unique.

“Cedar Falls, Iowa City and Ames are different communities with different needs,” he said. “It hasn’t been brought up here.”

If arming DPS officers becomes an issue with ISU students, GSB will look into it further, he said.