R.I. Legislator Wants to Arm Campus Police

Rhode Island State Rep. Joe Almeida has introduced a bill that would require all campus police officers at state colleges and universities to carry firearms.

Introduced in February, the bill would amend state law to authorize campus police who complete a firearms training course at the state's municipal police academy to carry weapons on duty, WPRI reports.

A retired police officer, Almeida notes that the recent report of a gunman on the University of Rhode Island's (URI) Kingston campus is reason for the legislation to pass. That report ended up being a Nerf gun. URI President David Dooley and Chairwoman of the Board of Education Eva Marie Mancuso have voiced their support of Almeida's bill.