DPS and Guns: A Closer Look

A Special Project

The Timeline

  • October, 2013

    Sworn peace officers added to DPS

    25 new officers were sworn under state law, giving them authority similar to a cop’s. They did not carry firearms.

  • 1 December, 2013

    Mark Fischer becomes DPS director DPS

    After serving as deputy director since 2011, Fischer became the director of Public Safety at the end of 2013.

  • January - September, 2016

    Commission evaluates potentially arming officers DPS

    An administration-led commission got feedback on the prospect of arming DPS officers. Many students voiced opposition.

  • 7 September, 2016

    Commission recommends arming Medical Center officers

    The commission recommended the UR Medical Center get 38 officers broken into three shifts, as well as arming 4 members of command staff. (See the commisions's report here).

  • 12 September, 2016

    Seligman holds two public forums on the recommendation DPS

    At the forum, Seligman said the recommendation was not the beginning of a greater arming plan. (See our livestream here.)

  • 13 October, 2016

    Med Center arming announced, Public Safety Review Board formed

    Along with the arming of 38 officers at URMC and four command staff members, administration also created the Public Safety Review Board. (See Seligman’s announcement here.)

  • 22 October, 2018

    DPS publicly reveals proposal to arm officers on Eastman and River campuses

    Revealed to students in an Oct. 22 SA meeting, the proposal has two suggestions. The first is that armed supervisors get access to campus in non-emergency situations. The second is that two armed vehicle officers be stationed on River Campus, and one armed foot patrol officer be stationed at Eastman. Each position would have five shifts, so that would be arming a total of 15 officers. (See the proposal here.)

  • 7 November, 2018

    MSAB criticizes the proposal and demands a public forum

    MSAB held a public forum on Oct. 28, where several students and faculty rejected the proposal. On Nov. 7, MSAB sent an email to all of its members condemning the proposal, and called for DPS to attend a public forum on the matter.

  • 8 November, 2018

    UR announces ad hoc Public Safety Proposal Advisory Committee

    The committee would be composed of faculty, students, staff, and one community member and would give the Review Board feedback on the proposal.

  • 14 November, 2018

    MSAB organizes sit-in at Faculty Senate meeting, Feldman agrees to Public Forum

    On Nov. 14, students crashed a Faculty Senate meeting where the proposal was to be discussed. The students demanded a public forum be held. President Richard Feldman was in attendance. After initially resisting, he eventually agreed.

  • 30 November, 2018

    Administration and MSAB hold the public forum DPS

    At the forum, Fischer said that the proposal aims to reduce armed officer response time, that weapons have only been drawn five times since the URMC arming in 2016, and that DPS has more restrictions on firearm usage than the Rochester Police Department.


    MSAB is dissatisfied with forum

    While administrators were happy with the town hall, some students found the structure stifling. MSAB President Tara Eagan, a junior, said that she would have preferred a Q&A format.

  • 19 December, 2018

    Ad hoc committee consists of faculty, staff, students, one community member

    When the Campus Times reached out to members of the ad hoc Advisory Committee, most of those who responded avoided taking a stance on the proposal. Their report (or reports) were due for submission to the Review Board and Feldman by March 27.

  • 27 March, 2019

    The Advisory Committee’s deadline to submit its findings

    Around this time, the Advisory Committee submitted its report(s) to the Review Board and President Feldman. It has not been released to the public.

  • 9 April, 2019

    The Review Board votes on its recommendation

    The Public Safety Review Board, having seen the Advisory Committee’s report(s), voted on its recommendation to President Feldman concerning the proposal. The resulting recommendation has not been made public.

  • 20 April, 2019

    CT reports Feldman’s decision to come Monday, April 22

    Along with his decision on the proposal, Feldman will also be releasing the Advisory Committee’s report and the Review Board’s recommendation.

  • 22 April, 2019

    Feldman approves campus access for armed supervisors, but rejects arming officers on River and Eastman Campuses

    The decision came almost a week after the Public Safety Review Board had voted on its recommendation to Feldman regarding the proposal. They recommended approving both the new armed posts and the supervisor access.

    Instead, Feldman's decision to adopt one part of the proposal and reject another is consistent with the majority's recommendation from the ad hoc Public Safety Proposal Advisory Committee.