Four out of the 11 officers at Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) are now commissioner police officers who will carry firearms, according to carthagepress.com.
Along with carrying guns, the officers will have the authority to make arrests and perform other duties. Each officer owns his own firearm and holsters.
MSSU Department of Public Safety Director Ken Kennedy said he’s been working to arm officers on the campus for more than seven years. He also noted that the university heavily debated whether or not to arm its security officers. However, officials believe that having the armed officers on campus will create a safer campus.
Additionally, MSSU will still maintain its mutual aid agreement with the Joplin Police Department, Duquesne Police Department and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department. If necessary, the MSSU DPS can contact those departments if they need assistance, and if needed, the newly armed officers may be called on to respond to something that off campus, but not too far from the university.
Also, thanks to grants from Partners in Prevention, a group that focuses on preventing underage and binge drinking, the university was able to acquire in-car cameras, a laptop computer for a police car and equipment to test breath for alcohol.
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