Many people do not realize that the use of a firearm can be (as is most often the case) considered PPE and not just a tool of the trade. While this is not always true (especially in other countries or for nonsworn officer training programs), in the United States, a majority of POST certified programs train their officers to use firearms as a primary form of PPE. Officers are taught to unholster and/or draw their weapon for certain situations when their personal safety could be compromised. It is important to note that this does not always mean that a weapon is pointed at someone and even less so that shots are actually fired. It is a deterrent and PPE just in case it is needed. Just like the EMT’s gloves: it may not always be necessary but when it is, the EMT is glad to have worn them for their own safety.
If an unarmed officer were to be injured in the line of duty in the case where the training used a firearm as a primary form of PPE, it might not take much for an attorney to demonstrate that the officer was not afforded the right to adequate self-protection based on his/her training. Administrators should therefore take a closer look at the content of any required/official training programs or academies their officers attend when dealing with this issue. Institutions in this sticky situation may not have a choice in arming their officers in order to mitigate the risk of a wrongful death lawsuit.
4. Campus Dynamics
Is your institution an open campus with few entrance restrictions by means of physical barriers and/or searches (not just policy restrictions – dry campuses will no doubt have alcohol on them)? Do you host a lot of public events on your campus that draw large crowds from the area? Is your campus in a high-crime vicinity or an urban area with lots of public transportation access points? Are you primarily a resident or commuter campus or perhaps a good mix? Do your residence halls have open access or are students routinely found leaving doors wide open and is that enforced? How is the lighting on your campus?
These are some dynamic factors to consider, although they may be outweighed by some other factors that involve higher risks, such as occupational safety.
5. Situational Awareness
Academic institutions often get comfortable touting low crime statistics, but not everything is reported and comes out in the statistics. Why then should the institution seek out something that may be a negative? The simple answer is that campus officials should know the bad stuff before the other side finds out.
A decent attorney will do a proper investigation that goes beyond asking for the dispatch log and Clery Act report. He or she will interview students, question the officers, query the public and snoop. If the campus administration has this information prepared proactively, they can make better-informed decisions to prevent it coming out when they least expect it and, more importantly, when they are least prepared to address it.
Is your campus frequented by violent gang members? Is the recreational pharmaceutical industry booming at the campus quad? You won’t find those answers in the statistics, and you may not even know about it, but it is important to consider. Talk to the beat officers, talk to the students, and talk to the local police department’s narcotics, gang intelligence and/or other similar units.
