Iowa Court of Appeals Rules Against Arming Campus Police

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – An appellate court upheld a lower court’s decision rejecting retired campus police officer Gary McCormack’s request to arm campus police at Iowa’s three state universities with firearms.

McCormack, the former University of Northern Iowa public safety lieutenant, says campus police face many dangers and should be allowed to carry guns. At the moment, campus police are only permitted to carry batons and stun guns. The Iowa Division of Labor, however, disagreed with McCormack’s assessment, and the court ruling this week upheld that decision.

McCormack says he will not appeal the court decision, as he has already spent much of his own money fighting the court battles. He hopes someone else will succeed in urging the Iowa Board of Regents to change its policy.

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century

This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!

Get Our Newsletters
Campus Safety Conference promo