Worcester Colleges Getting Armed

Friday, July 25, 2014
Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Quinsigamond Community College is the latest Worcester college or university to allow their campus police officers to carry a firearm, a decision that was voted on by the Board of Trustees and enacted upon on July 13th.

Recognizing both the local and national trend of arming campus police officers, Quinsigamond ultimately decided that now was a good time to arm their officers. After bringing up the topic a variety of times in years past, this is the first time that the initiative was brought to a vote.

“We had a safety committee form after the Virginia Tech shooting and every year the topic of arming our campus police officers would come up,” said Lt. Reynaldo Rodriguez, Assistant Chief of the Quinsigamond Community College Campus Police. “Arming campus police has pretty much become the industry standard. We wanted to cover our behinds and get everything together, rather than be on the other end.”

Lt. Rodriguez believes that Quinsigamond is either the last or one of the last college campuses in Worcester to arm their campus police. In addition to Quinsigamond, Becker College, Worcester State University, Assumption College, and Clark University all confirmed that they have armed police officers.

Better Safe Than Sorry

Many of the colleges and universities in the Worcester area have sworn in police officers – which would be eligible to carry a firearm – as well as a number of staff that focus on other campus services.

At Becker College, all sworn in police officers do carry firearms in order to ensure the safety of their campus. While nothing to horrible has happened on campus yet – like a mass shooting or another tragedy – Becker College and their campus police take a proactive approach to fighting crime; having firearms is just one way to ensure that the campus is better safe than sorry.

“You really want a local college to have the same level of safety as the college around you,” said David Bousquet, Becker College Campus Police Chief. “If you are a police officer, you should be armed in this day and age. My philosophy is that it is always better to have something and not need it than to need something and not have it.”

National Attention, Local Focus

Many of the college campuses around the Worcester area recognized a potential need for armed campus police after the growing number of school shootings.

While some campuses have taken steps more recently to arm their campus police, Worcester State University is one of the local colleges and universities to create an initiative to arm their officers when the Virginia Tech shooting happened back in 2007.

“On April 16th of that year, the campus shooting at Virginia Tech took place—an incident in which 32 students and faculty died,” Carl A. Herrin, Assistant to the President for International, Community & Governmental Affairs at Worcester State University. “In the context of the times—and recognizing that Worcester State is an urban campus in New England’s second largest city—a decision to arm campus police was deemed prudent and appropriate.”

  • 38. Heard Street

    Crime Index: 83 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 1.45

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 11.62

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 13.08

     

  • 37. Main St / Goddard Memorial Dr

    Crime Index: 73 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 2.74

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 14.61

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 17.35

     

  • 36. Westchester / Assumption

    Crime Index: 70 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 2.08

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 16.32

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 18.4

     

  • 35 (tie). Mill St / Worcester State U

    Crime Index: 67 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 1.63

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 17.96

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 19.59

     

  • 35 (tie). Oakland Heights / Massasoit

    Crime Index: 67 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 5.69

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 14.1

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 19.78

     

  • 33 (tie). Jamesville / Ludlow

    Crime Index: 65 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 4.14

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 16.57

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 20.71

     

  • 33 (tie). Burncoat

    Crime Index: 65 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 1.63

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 18.88

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 20.51

     

  • 31. Chadwick Square

    Crime Index: 61 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 4.88

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 17.78

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 22.66

     

  • 30. Sunderland

    Crime Index: 60 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 3.17

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 19.67

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 22.85

     

  • 29. Webster Square

    Crime Index: 59 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 12

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 11.59

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 23.59

     

  • 28. Westwood Hills

    Crime Index: 57 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 2.56

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 21.65

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 24.21

     

  • 27. North Worcester / Summit

    Crime Index: 55 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 5.33

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 19.93

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 25.26

     

  • 26. Pleasant St.

    Crime Index: 48 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 5.99

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 22.98

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 28.97

     

  • 25 (tie). Greendale

    Crime Index: 47 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 3.35

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 26.56

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 29.9

     

  • 25 (tie). Bloomingdale

    Crime Index: 47 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 9.12

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 21.07

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 30.19

     

  • 23. Clark U / Main St

    Crime Index: 46 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 2.79

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 27.94

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 30.73

     

  • 22. Tatnuck / West Tatnuck

    Crime Index: 45 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 2.39

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 29.07

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 31.46

     

  • 21. Lakeview

    Crime Index: 43 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 4.32

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 28.09

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 32.42

     

  • 20. Holy Cross / College St

    Crime Index: 39 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 0.82

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 34.26

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 35.08

     

  • 19 (tie). Columbus Park

    Crime Index: 37 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 9.73

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 27.14

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 36.87

     

  • 19 (tie). Hamilton

    Crime Index: 37 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 10.95

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 25.81

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 36.76

     

  • 17. Brittan Square

    Crime Index: 34 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 10.44

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 28.86

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 39.3

     

  • 16. Pinecrest

    Crime Index: 33 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 5.65

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 34.12

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 39.77

     

  • 15 (tie). City Center

    Crime Index: 29 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 16.8

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 27.03

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 43.83

     

  • 15 (tie). South Worcester

    Crime Index: 29 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 14.9

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 29.26

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 44.16

     

  • 13. Beaver Brook

    Crime Index: 28 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 12.9

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 31.85

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 44.75

     

  • 12 (tie). Swan Avenue

    Crime Index: 24 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 11.72

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 37.37

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 49.09

     

  • 12 (tie). June Street

    Crime Index: 24 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 8.05

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 41.46

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 49.51

     

  • 10 (tie). University Park

    Crime Index: 20 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 12.42

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 41.75

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 54.18

     

  • 10 (tie). Quinsigamond Village / College Hill

    Crime Index: 20 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 12.15

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 42.45

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 54.6

     

  • 8 (tie). Umass Medical / Lake Ave N

    Crime Index: 16 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 7.54

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 53.28

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 60.82

     

  • 8 (tie). Water St / Grafton St

    Crime Index: 16 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 21.62

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 40.39

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 62.01

     

  • 6 (tie). Beverly Road

    Crime Index: 15 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 7.64

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 55.73

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 63.37

     

  • 6 (tie). WPI / Highland St

    Crime Index: 15 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 11.31

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 51.74

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 63.05

     

  • 4. Oak Hill

    Crime Index: 13 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 21.26

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 46.78

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 68.04

     

  • 3. Belmont Hill / Shrewsbury St

    Crime Index: 8 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 20.38

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 61.97

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 82.35

     

  • 2. Chandler Hill

    Crime Index: 6 (100 is safest)

    Violent Crimes per 1000 residents: 27.72

    Property Crimes per 1000 residents: 64.36

    Total Crimes per 1000 residents: 92.08

     

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