Oregonian
October 9th, 2014
Portland State University is in the midst of a campus-wide debate about whether or not to create an armed university police force.
Sexual assault is one concern at the heart of the issue.
Improving sexual assault response is one of the most common goals named by proponents, said Eric Noll, student body president. But not everyone agrees that creating a police force is the best way to address sexual violence.
The university currently has public safety officers, who do not have the authority to perform off-campus investigations. That makes following up on sexual assaults slow and complicated, said Phil Zerzan, chief of campus public safety.