police officers walking

Ryan Bren walks side by side with Evangelia King during firearms training at Canby Rod and Gun Club in 2005. King was one of three women in her class going through the Portland Police Bureau's Advanced Academy.

(Ivan Kashinsky/The Oregonian)

Classes began Monday, and already students and faculty at Portland State University are tackling a divisive question: Should the university create its own armed police force?

Proponents say the upgrade would improve day-to-day safety on campus, prevent sexual assaults and help prepare the university for a shooting. Opponents cite discomfort with increased guns on campus and fear of police harassment.

Crimes on Portland State's campus in 2013

Robberies: 2

Aggravated assaults: 11

Burglary: 157

Motor vehicle theft: 9

Forcible rape: 6

Forcible fondling: 6

Domestic violence: 14

Stalking: 9

The university has roughly 29,000 students.

Portland State's Board of Trustees will decide in December whether to move forward with the proposal, put forward by university administrators.

We will be following the campus safety plan as it evolves. Meanwhile, here is a quick primer on the issue.

Where is this coming from?

Oregon lawmakers passed state legislation in 2011 giving the State Board of Higher Education the authority to allow campuses in the Oregon University System to establish their own police departments.

That year, former vice president of finance and administration Lindsay Desrochers told The Oregonian that the university had "no intention of changing our public safety model." But in 2013 President Wim Wiewel convened a task force to address safety concerns on campus. Assigning sworn police officers to the campus was one of the task force's recommendations.

The University of Oregon, which requested the bill, has been an armed police department since June 2013, and Oregon Health and Science University armed its officers this summer.

When would it happen at Portland State?

It would take three years to establish a full police force, said Phil Zerzan, the university's chief of public safety. The department would recruit externally and train existing public safety officers.

Kevin Reynolds, interim vice president for finance and administration, said the university would hire six sworn officers in the first year.

Current public safety officers would have opportunities to go through training to become sworn officers. The university would also maintain some officers at the public safety level -- not all officers on the force would be sworn, armed police officers.

What kind of public safety model does Portland State have now?

The university has public safety officers.

Public safety officers at PSU don't have the authority to respond if a student says a friend has overdosed and needs assistance. They can't respond if a student reports a sexual assault in an off-campus apartment, even if the building is across the street from the university's territory. They can't apply for search warrants or hold anyone experiencing a mental health crisis.

Officers have the authority to approach suspicious people on campus, but Zerzan said doing so without a gun can be dangerous. It isn't a crime to resist or escape a public safety officer.

"We're kind of police," the chief said. "I wouldn't go to a kind-of doctor or a kind-of dentist."

How does Portland State's model compare to other universities?

Portland State's ratio of public safety officers to students is dismal relative to others nationwide, according to PSU researchers.

Nationally, universities average 2.5 police or safety officers for every 1,000 students. Portland State only has .6. That is the lowest ratio of any public university in Oregon and the lowest of 21 comparable urban universities nationwide, according to data compiled by PSU researchers.

Michele Toppe, dean of student life, said Portland is the only urban college of its size that doesn't have its own police department.

What about regular Portland police?

Portland State relies heavily on Portland police because of the public safety officer's limited authority.

The university's campus is a "patchwork" of jurisdictions, Zerzan said. Public safety officers can make arrests only on university-owned property. A suspect need only run to the sidewalk to buy him or herself some time before Portland police arrive.

It takes Portland police five to 20 minutes to respond to calls on campus, Zerzan said. Public safety officers typically respond in less than two minutes.

What would a police force cost Portland State?

About $1.5 million, said Reynolds. He said the university would not raise tuition or cut staff to cover the cost.

How do faculty and students feel?

The question has already proved divisive among the student body, said Eric Noll, who is student body president.

Students who support the proposal often reference a need for greater prevention and response to sexual assaults, he said. Guns are a sticking point for opponents, he said, and many students resistant to the upgrade cite concern for minorities on campus.

Leslie McBride, past presiding officer of the Faculty Senate, said it's too early to gage her peers' opinions but that she has faith the administration is genuinely interested in listening to the community. She said improving security could save money.

"I'm in public health: there is a cost always to prevention, but prevention usually results in cost savings," she said.

What's next?

We'll tackle more questions and continue to talk with students and faculty about their opinions on the issue. In the meantime, use the comments section below to ask questions and share your preliminary thoughts.

-- Melissa Binder