Reporter Volume 25, No.23 April 7, 1994

By MARK WALLACE
Reporter Staff
Peter Nickerson, chair of the Faculty Senate, re-opened discussion of
the document "Policies Governing The Use of Side Arms at the State
University of New York at Buffalo" in the March 22 meeting of the
Faculty Senate. Nickerson cited need for more information on the
proposed changes in the arming policy of Public Safety officers at UB,
and noted that confusion about parliamentary procedures had created
uncertainty about the Faculty Senate vote March 1.
	While the Faculty Senate had voted March 1 to replace proposed
changes in the arming policy with the former 1987 policy, they had not
voted to support that 1987 policy, Nickerson said.
	"At our last meeting, we had no input from campus security,"
Nickerson said. "We also have to consider some changes in the
documents that have been put forward."
	Public Safety Officer Jim Smith, a certified firearms
instructor, demonstrated the difficulties associated with the black
box in which Public Safety officers must lock their weapons while in
their patrol cars. Smith's presentation demonstrated the
time-consuming activities required to get a weapon out of the box. He
also demonstrated the potential dangers of retrieving their weapons
from the boxQPublic Safety officers must lean over inside their
vehicles, forcing them to take their eyes off suspects.
	Smith pointed out that the black box actually made officers
handle their guns more frequently than if they simply kept them at
their sides. "It's common police procedure that the less you handle
your gun, the better off you are," Smith said.
	William George of Engineering asked whether there were
situations in which Public Safety officers needed to have weapons but
were currently not authorized to carry them.
	Lee Griffin, director of Public Safety, said, "The biggest
danger to a police officer is the unknown, whether you're pulling over
vehicles or whatever. You don't know when a problem is going to
occur."
	James Lawler of Philosophy asked whether there were situations
on campus in which it was important for Public Safety officers not to
have guns, and if so, whether the black box was the best way to keep
weapons secured in those circumstances.
	Robert Palmer, vice president for student affairs, said that
the black box came along as a compromise for having armed officers on
campus. "The descriptions you've been given are reasons why police
officers need to be armed at all times," Palmer said. "We are talking
about taking a leadership role in community-based policing."
	Because of the complex nature of the proposed changes in the
arming policy, the Faculty Senate voted to postpone further debate on
the topic until such time as its members could be more thoroughly
informed about the particular details of those changes. Robert Palmer
pointed out that he would be glad to work with faculty members to
clarify the issues surrounding the proposed changes.
	In other business, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution
proposed by the Faculty Senate Standing Committee on Tenure and
Privileges. The two-part resolution stated that department chairs
should provide the framework and opportunities for the development of
the career of each junior faculty member in that department, including
choosing an appropriate mentor in consultation with the faculty
member. It also stated that the evaluation of chairs for reappointment
should contain strong consideration of the chair's activities in
faculty development.