Council 93 has teamed up with Massachusetts lawmakers in our ongoing effort to ensure our police officers in AFSCME Local 1067 MA Higher Education are provided firearms so they can safely and effectively protect the students and staff at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston; and all campuses across the public higher education system.

MassArt is the only four-year public college in Massachusetts that does not have armed Campus Police Officers. In the event of an emergency, the school relies on the Boston Police Department to be its first responder. Despite numerous studies showing the need for armed Campus Police Officers at MassART, the president and Board of Directors have refused to provide the officers on campus with the tools necessary to protect the students, faculty, and staff at MassART.

Sponsored by State Senator Paul Feeney, State Senator Bruce Tarr and State Representative Hank Naughton, S2431- An Act to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff on the campuses of state colleges, community colleges and state universities allows for the Board of Higher Education to overrule an individual schools board and require the issuance of firearms and other safety equipment to campus police officers at any state college, community college or public university to protect the students, faculty, and staff.

Council 93 Local 1067 represents nearly 300 Campus Police Officers at the twenty-four state colleges, community colleges, and public universities across the Commonwealth. All Campus Police Officers go through the same rigorous training process as the Massachusetts State Police and are deputized as special state police officers, with licenses to carry firearms.

Read an article on this important issue from the Worcester Telegram HERE .