The Iowa university system is among a handful of large public systems that do not allow their professional, state-certified police officers to carry guns. "None of our campuses are urban," says Charles Wright, the board's legal affairs and human resources director, "and the nature of the communities doesn't seem to warrant it."
After a thorough search for a non-lethal weapon to complement the pepper spray and nightsticks that university officers carry, the Taser emerged as the weapon of choice. It met the departments' five criteria, which include effectiveness without permanent injury and accountability features.
An electric shock fired from one of the $600 guns is effective up to 21 feet. It not only causes "a series of rhythmic, uncontrollable muscle spasms that will literally drop a person to the ground," says Iowa State University Police Captain Gene Deisinger, but also activates built-in components that would make it impossible for an officer to cover up a weapon that has been fired.
Along with the acquisition of Tasers, the public safety divisions at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University are also changing their names. New badges, car decals and operators now will use the word "police" in another attempt to clear up any uncertainties about the law enforcement power of Iowa university officers.
