U. of Washington ‘Safety Responders’ Will Not Carry Guns

A protestor reacts towards a Portland police officer during protests, Saturday, Sept. 26,
AP Photo/John Locher
Tom Ciccotta

A new squad of campus officers at the University of Washington will not be permitted to carry firearms due to efforts by campus officials to accommodate concerns voiced by black students and faculty. The university’s president acknowledged last week that the decision was made in response to recent police killings of black men and women.

According to a student newspaper report, the University of Washington announced recently that they will hire a new squad of “safety responders” that will not be permitted to carry firearms. However, the new officers will not be asked to respond to crimes in progress. Instead, they will be tasked will responding to smaller issues, such as students being locked out of their buildings and parking lot management.

University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce told students on Friday that the decision to prevent the campus officers from carrying weapons was motivated by an effort to make black students feel more comfortable on campus.

“We need to recognize that feelings of safety can vary depending on your experiences and background,” Cauce said. “Police involvement in the killings of Black men and women … have left Black students, faculty, and staff feeling unsafe in the presence of armed police officers.”

University of Washington Vice President for Student Affairs Denzil Suite said that the candidates for the new positions will undergo a rigorous hiring process.

“These safety responders will be interacting with individuals who are potentially vulnerable states of mind, and they’ll also have access to police reports,” Suite explained. “This level of diligence on our part is necessary to protect our community and the general public.”

The university also said that its current officers have been required to undergo a “robust bias and diversity training and in anti-racism.” Many universities and colleges around the country have asked their staff to participate in similar programs.

Breitbart News reported in June that students at the University of Washington were demanding a relaxed grading policy for black students that were struggling as a result of the death of George Floyd. A student petition urging the university to adopt a relaxed grading policy received over 50,000 signatures.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more updates on this story.

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