The University of Oregon has submitted a docket item to the Oregon University System asking the State Board of Higher Education to consider a request to equip UO’s sworn police officers with firearms. The meeting is scheduled for June 21.

The request comes after a campus engagement effort during this academic year, and following a commitment made in October 2011 to return to the state board if and when UO leaders determined it was in the best interest of campus safety to allow sworn police officers to carry firearms. The UO was granted permission in 2011 by the State Board of Higher Education to form a police department.

For the past year, the UO Police Implementation Advisory Group (an advisory group comprised of students, faculty and staff) has met monthly with leadership to discuss the police transition, including the issue of arming UOPD police officers.

Public engagement accelerated during winter term when UO leaders met with dozens of students and faculty groups; scheduled three campus-wide forums, a series of five smaller engagements called “Coffee with the Chief,” and used online and social media channels to seek input from the campus community. 

“I am grateful to our students, faculty, staff, neighbors and community members for their thoughtful involvement and forthright discussions of this important issue over many months,” said President Michael Gottfredson. “The university has taken a thorough and informed approach to the transition from a public safety department to a police department, and has thoroughly evaluated the decision to seek permission to arm its trained, sworn police officers.”

Many factors were taken into consideration by President Gottfredson and the university’s leadership team with the primary concern being the safety and security of students, faculty, staff and the community.

- from the UO Office of Strategic Communications