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12/17/2024
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Rep. O’Brien will keep an eye on security budgets for public colleges
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Action must be taken before the worst can happen, he says
STATE HOUSE – During the upcoming 2025 legislative budget process, Rep. William W. O’Brien will be keeping a close on eye on the security budgets for Rhode Island College (RIC) and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI).
“As a member of the House Finance Committee, I will be watching both RIC and CCRI’s budget requests very closely because for the past few years, I have been extremely disappointed in the apparent disinterest of the administrations in properly ensuring the safety and security of their campuses and all who visit them. The safety and security of those on campus should be the school’s highest priority and once again I urge the CCRI and RIC administrations to do the right thing and protect their campuses,” said Representative O’Brien (D-Dist. 54, North Providence). “Yesterday’s tragic events in Wisconsin, and so many other horrific instances like it, should serve as a wake-up call to the RIC and CCRI administrations that they are not doing enough to protect their campuses.”
Representative O’Brien also emphasizes that the administrations of RIC and CCRI already possess the authority to arm their campus police officers, but refuse to do so.
“We are unfortunately living in a time when armed security is becoming more necessary to protect the safety and wellbeing of our students. If an active shooter situation were to take place on the campuses of RIC or CCRI, our students, staff and visitors would be defenseless while waiting for the police to arrive. Just this past October, a threat sent the RIC campus into panic and RIC staff didn’t even have the keys to the building to allow the police to enter and do their jobs. How is this acceptable? How many more warning signs do we need before we take safety seriously at RIC and CCRI, whose security staff is only armed with handcuffs and pepper spray? These dedicated public safety officers don’t even have protective vests, leaving them as the only police force in the state without such vital and necessary gear. Does tragedy need to strike before responsible campus safety action is taken? The administrations of both these institutions need to face the reality that there are dangerous people who wish to do harm on soft targets such as these schools and they need to stop bending to internal political pressure that is jeopardizing safety and security. The only way to ensure safety is by properly arming their campus police with firearms and tasers, as well as, the necessary protective equipment and protocols that school police need to protect everyone on campus. We need to hope for the best but prepare for the worst and right now, we are not prepared,” said Representative O’Brien.
For more information, contact:
Andrew Caruolo, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401)222-6124
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