Safety services will not carry guns
By Kassie Kallner
IV Leader Staff, May 3, 2007
One of the many topics that have emerged in response to
the Virginia Tech shootings is the idea of guns on campuses.
At IVCC, safety service officers do not carry guns and this
policy probably will not change in the near future.
“I am opposed to arming safety services,” said IVCC President
Larry Huffman. “Training would be required, and accidents could still happen.”
Ken Sangston, safety services director, agrees with Huffman. “A gun can agitate
the situation,” he said. Sangston, a retired police officer, said that many IVCC
officers were once police officers themselves or are veterans that have
experience with guns.
However, Sangston believes that at this time, guns are not
needed. “When the day comes when I feel that things have changed and we need
guns, I will be the first to recommend it. This is not that time.” La Salle
County Sheriff Tom Templeton admits that there are two sides to the issue.
“If you arm them, then you bring in weapons that weren’t here
before,” Templeton said. He added that if a group of people want that gun, there
is not much anyone can do to stop them from overpowering an individual.
Templeton also acknowledged the value of having armed officers. “If you do have
an armed gunman, you have people who could respond.”
Ultimately, Sangston believes that whether they are armed or
not, anything can happen at any time. “If someone wants to do something, then
they will do it.”