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Group of students wants an armed militia on campus
Updated: 5/10/2006 10:40 AM
By: Cait McVey
They want to patrol campus, offer night time escorts, and hold self defense classes. They also want to carry guns. It's a plan for a student militia at SUNY Potsdam, and the idea is not sitting well with some students on campus.
"Students with guns? It's not a good idea," said Travis Fisher, freshman.
"Students helping students and watching out for each other is one thing but a militia? That seems a little over the top to me," said Kelsey Moody, freshman.
But group organizer Kelly Eustis says it's their second amendment right to bear arms. He says guns may be necessary in an extreme case, when students need to defend themselves. The school on the other hand, doesn't feel the same way. There is a strict no-gun policy in place and spokesperson Deirdre Kelly says it isn't going to change.
SUNY Potsdam spokesperson Deidre Kelly said, “Right now state law, and also our campus regulations prohibit the possession of guns on campus, and we support that policy."
Police Chief Barry McDermott says not only is it against the law for students to have guns on campus, but it's also unnecessary. SUNY schools don't just have security guards, they have a full time police department located on campus, with armed officers on duty 24/7.
McDermott said, “We have two officers patrolling the campus 24-hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year. Our crime statistics are on our website and they are very low for the SUNY system and the state in general."
Eustis says the group plans to take their proposal to University officials by early next semester. He says even without permission to carry guns, the group would still like to form a campus patrol because he says you can never be too safe when it comes to the security of students
The Potsdam students interested in forming the militia got the idea from a group of SUNY New Paltz students proposing a similar plan at their school. But so far, the SUNY Chancellor’s office in Albany says there are no official militia groups registered at any SUNY campus.
Group of students wants an armed militia on campus
Updated: 5/10/2006 10:40 AM
By: Cait McVey
They want to patrol campus, offer night time escorts, and hold self defense classes. They also want to carry guns. It's a plan for a student militia at SUNY Potsdam, and the idea is not sitting well with some students on campus.
"Students with guns? It's not a good idea," said Travis Fisher, freshman.
"Students helping students and watching out for each other is one thing but a militia? That seems a little over the top to me," said Kelsey Moody, freshman.
But group organizer Kelly Eustis says it's their second amendment right to bear arms. He says guns may be necessary in an extreme case, when students need to defend themselves. The school on the other hand, doesn't feel the same way. There is a strict no-gun policy in place and spokesperson Deirdre Kelly says it isn't going to change.
SUNY Potsdam spokesperson Deidre Kelly said, “Right now state law, and also our campus regulations prohibit the possession of guns on campus, and we support that policy."
Police Chief Barry McDermott says not only is it against the law for students to have guns on campus, but it's also unnecessary. SUNY schools don't just have security guards, they have a full time police department located on campus, with armed officers on duty 24/7.
McDermott said, “We have two officers patrolling the campus 24-hours a day, seven days a week during the academic year. Our crime statistics are on our website and they are very low for the SUNY system and the state in general."
Eustis says the group plans to take their proposal to University officials by early next semester. He says even without permission to carry guns, the group would still like to form a campus patrol because he says you can never be too safe when it comes to the security of students
The Potsdam students interested in forming the militia got the idea from a group of SUNY New Paltz students proposing a similar plan at their school. But so far, the SUNY Chancellor’s office in Albany says there are no official militia groups registered at any SUNY campus.