Beginning this fall semester, Portland State University (PSU) campus safety officers will no longer carry guns when they are on patrol on campus. 

 

Stephen Percy, President of PSU said, "The question of how best to keep Portland State University safe has challenged us for years. The continuing tragedies across our country demonstrate the disproportionate impacts and unacceptable loss of life that policing has on Black people and people of color.

Over the past few weeks, we have listened to many voices across our campus. The calls for change that we are hearing at PSU are ringing out across our nation. We must find a new way to protect the safety of our community, one that works to dismantle systemic racism and promotes the dignity of all who come to our urban campus."

PSU Chief Willie Halliburton and the members of the Campus Public Safety Office will patrol campus without carrying firearms. They will continue to be sworn officers, with investigative and arrest capabilities. 

Additionally, PSU will create a Reimagine Campus Safety Committee that will be guided by the school’s “commitment to providing a campus environment that is free of racism, celebrates the diversity of our community, and honors our dedication to human dignity,” the announcement said. “The committee will assess how to keep our campus safe without relying on officers carrying firearms. The committee also will be asked to provide innovative solutions to an array of safety and security needs, including providing basic security and assisting those who are in crisis.”

The new committee will make recommendations this fall.