BC Approves Armed Campus Safety Officers

Bluefield College has approved a new policy that will soon allow its campus safety officers to carry firearms to better ensure safety on the BC campus. 

 In response to the increasing number of school shootings in recent years and out of a desire to better protect Bluefield College students in the event of an active shooter incident on campus, the BC Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution that will allow its full-time campus safety officers to be armed while on duty.

The new policy stipulates that armed officers must first be certified as a Special Conservator of the Peace. Under Virginia Code 19-2-13, Special Conservators of the Peace have the same powers and authority, including being armed within a specific geographic limitation, as any other conservator of the peace or law enforcement officer. 

BC’s Gary Ruth, director of campus safety, has spent a total of 32 years in law enforcement, including four years at BC, 22 years as a police officer for the City of Bluefield (WV), two years as a corrections officer for Mercer County (WV), and four years in the United States Marine Corps.

He said he has spent his life in law enforcement because it has always been his calling. The job at Bluefield College, he said, opened not long after he had retired. He said he believes it was God’s plan for him. He also said he believes having armed campus safety officers on campus can save lives. 

“Trained armed security is a must today, where active shooter tragedies take place almost every week,” Ruth said. “It has been proven that seconds save lives in an active shooter response. Having someone armed on campus so they could respond faster than the local police can save lives.” 

Ruth’s goal as a security officer is to maintain the safety of all property and persons on the BC campus. He said that he takes his job seriously. The safety of the entire BC campus and the people on it are his top priority. 

“I believe that it is better to be prepared and not have the training than to have an active shooter incident take place and not be prepared,” he said. “Having the proper weapons will provide a more secure campus for everyone in the case of anyone wanting to gravely injure another person on campus.” 

The new policy is a Use of Force Policy. Full time officers will become certified armed security officers once they complete the required training. No specific date has been set as to when officers will be armed; although, training has been set for late November. 

Bluefield College student Haley Davis says she thinks the new policy for armed campus safety officers is a good idea. 

“I think it would be great to have armed officers on campus as long as they are trained to do so,” Davis said. “Having armed officers would make it feel like a (safer) environment for the staff and students.” 

BC student Jordan Gonzalez agreed, saying he believes there is a need as long as the campus safety officers are trained to use the weapons. 

“I feel that it would be okay for them to be armed,” he said. “Hopefully they won’t have to use the firearms, but in case something does happen, they need to be prepared. The perfect example is the crazy guy who killed a cop last year. What if he would have been on campus? Then no one would be able to protect us (the people on campus).”