Arm our campus security

[my note: This was originally planned to be an article at the UH's newspaper Ka Leo O Hawaii  (aka the Ka Leo). as for why it's not there ........... well, that's the subject for tomorrow's blog post]

         Like many campuses, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa has its own security force. They are the eyes and ears of the campus. They look out for suspicious activity, record all reported incidents, give safety tips and even break up fights.

            But what can they do if some crazy person starts shooting people at random? Not much.

The Limits of Campus Security

 Our campus security is unarmed.

           Sure, the campus security can call the police. But remember, the police cannot secure every area on this island. They are not the first line of defense. They are merely the backup.

            When a shooting occur, seconds count. We don’t have time to wait.

While we wait for the police to arrive, everyone on campus continues to hope and pray that the shooter runs out of bullets soon. 

It shouldn’t have to be this way. We shouldn’t have to wait for the police to arrive on time. We need someone right there ready to shoot back when the bullets start flying.

Real life armed security

There is evidence that having armed security helps.

            Let’s look at Israel, a country surrounded by hostile enemies. In a nation that has dealt with real terrorism, they don’t just hope and wait for someone to save them. They don’t just rely on security that is armed with nothing more than a command presence. They know that a command presence is no match for an armed psychotic killer who thinks you shouldn’t even exist.

            In Israel, every campus has armed security. And they don’t have as many school shootings like we do in the United States.

(source: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/30/armed-teachers-guards-key-to-school-security-in-israel/ )

Real life example of unarmed security

            I’m sure some of you reading this will say “no worry, we’re not Israel. We’re fine, don’t be so paranoid.”

            Well, let’s look at Norway’s example.  This is a country that had gone decades without facing an external threat.  There wasn’t much of an internal threat either. That is until 2011, when a crazed gunman shot a group of teenaged campers.

            Not only was the security unarmed, so were a large percentage of police officers. 

            Some Norwegians defended the policy by claiming that an unarmed police force makes for a safer society.

(source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/26/world/europe/26police.html )

            But the reality is that decades of calm had made Norwegian society complacent. It gave them the false illusion that they are too evolved to require an armed police or security force.

We need to win the arms race

            Some Norwegians worried that having an armed police will lead to an arms race. But the reality is that criminals and terrorists will always be dedicated to winning the arms race.

            The Isrealis know that from hard experience. This is why they have armed security. This is why they take no chances.

            While Hawai‘i doesn’t have to deal with the terroristic threat as regularly as the Isrealis, we can learn from Norway’s experience that we can’t be complacent either. 

            It’s time we have a campus security that is ready for any disaster. It’s time we have a campus security that is ready to shoot back. Lives depend on it.