As reported by Inside Higher Ed, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics recently released a report showing that college campuses are employing more sworn, armed police officers. The bureau surveyed more than 900 four-year colleges and universities with 2,500 or more students during the 2011-12 school year. The survey was last conducted in 2004-05.
Survey findings show the following increases since the 2004-05 survey: the percentages of campuses using (1) sworn officers increased from 75% to 77% and (2) armed officers increased from 68% to 75%. Results also compared public and private institutions. In the 2011-12 survey, the percentage of public institutions using sworn officers (92%) was more than double that of private institutions (38%). Similarly, the percentage of public campuses using armed officers (91%) was more than double that of private institutions (36%).
The full report also addresses campus officers’ arrest and patrol jurisdictions, community policing activities, safety escort services, range of weaponry, and technological devices, among other things.
