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i Arms issue: Stormer responds
By AMY SMITH
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
The following is a direct transcript
Jjjrom a recorded interview with David E.
‘Stormer, director of University Safety.
The Daily Collegian: What are-the;.,
primary reasons for asking the
University to arm your officers?
"Difectoj' Stormer\ Well, I, think I’ve-
on those before. They’ve
Deep in print and restating them would
just-be redundant. I’ve covered it in
pqblic meetings with members of the
press. I think they’ve been recorded.
(Stormer has previously said arming
University officers would provide a full
kfcjw enforcement facility on campus; a
facility which he feels is a responsibility
of police-services at this time.)
C: Are you satisfied with the manner
in- which the University Council is
handling your request?
S: I think the University Council is
In Edition, The Daily Collegian’s
regular FridaySfront page feature,
appears on Page 8 today because of
space considerations for the special
Homecoming issue.
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Let S dO it dCJdin Joe Paterno will lead the second-ranked Nittany Lions onto the field Saturday for the seventh time this season, against Syracuse. Hope
& fully Joe will again run from the field with a win. He has only lost one homecoming game in his career at Penn State.
proceeding in a manner in which they
were requested to proceed.
C: Do you feel it will make any dif
ference that the provost will be making
, the decision rather than (University)
(John W.) Oswald? .. .
.-[• sV T‘wouldn’t (hirik soT I Have no
reason to believe that.
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C: Have your officers expressed any
concerns directly to you about the gun
issue?
S: In the past? Currently?
C: Past or present.
S: Past or present. Certainly they
have, over a four year period.
C: For or against the arming of
personnel?
S: Well, it’s an issue and has been
an issue with them at various times.
C: Will there be a change in officer
morale should the proposal be defeated?
S: You’re asking me to speculate on
the future. I have difficulty in doing that.
Certainly the controversy itself has had
an effect.
C: What are your feelings about ar
ming officers with alternative forms of
weapons such as night sticks?
, S: That is an ongoing thing and has
been and is being done.
C: Do you think they are as efficient
as guns or is there a loss of efficiency?
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Ilegian
Vol. 79, No 68 38 pages
S: When we speak about efficiency we
are speaking only about those isolated
incidents of confrontation, whether it be
citizen encountered or , officer en
countered. When a citizen calls to make
an,apprehension -pf^j^jpdividua 1 who is
"alleged to Be armed then it' always
comes down to an officer encounter.
Very few jnstances that I’m aware of did
citizens make arrests for the offense and
bring the perpetrator in.
C: You have stated previously that it
doesn’t matter whether University of
ficers are armed but that there should be
officers on campus who provide fulj law
enforcement. Should your proposal be
defeated, what other type of law en
forcement system would you suggest be
set up at the University?
S: I think the alternates that I have
suggested are the most viable ones.
(Stormer previously suggested that
some law enforcement service with
armed officers be stationed on campus,
whether it be police services or state
police. Stormer says his major concern
is achieving maximum interaction
between the community and the en
forcement service.)
C: Assuming that the University
Council recommends University officers
be armed and the policy is approved by
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Nov. 1, how soon within that time will
your officers be armed and will they be
required to attend any special briefing
sessions?
S: Implementation is not something
that-tpkes a long period, of time. Yes,
there"are special briefing sessions' that
will accompany it, but implementation
is a day or two.
C: Do you feel the issue has been
treated fairly by the press?
S: I have difficulty in answering that
question. Coming from one side of the
issue I think that’s something that’s
better left to a person who is neither pro
nor con. Fairness is something that
other people judge. What is fair is dif
ficult to address. When you are pro you
say you shouldn’t print anything and
that’s not true and that’s not right. Is it
treated fairly by the press? I think that’s
better left for others to judge, not me.
C: Should the proposal be defeated,
how will that affect your position as
director of University Safety? And do
you intend to appeal it to anyone else or a
higher form of authority?
S: I’m not certain there is a higher
form of authority in the University to
appeal, therefore there would be no
appeal. It will not affect me as director
but it will affect some ongoing practices.
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PIRG members
seek signatures
By USA GREENBKKG
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Students for a Pennsylvania Public
Interest Research Group yesterday
began their petition drive to establish a
statewide PIRG operated and funded by
University students.
Jeff Goldsmith, coordinator of
Students for PennPIRG, said members
will be petitioning downtown as well as
on campus. He said members will go to
fraternities and will have a table in the
HUB.
About canvassing in dorms, Goldsmith
said'petitioners' would riot be allowed to
petition door-to-door, but will be able to
speak at some house meetings.
‘‘We’ve already contacted some RAs
and have arranged to speak at their
house meetings,” he said.
• There are 11 PIRG members trained
to petition, Goldsmith said, and there
will be five more members who will be
trained within the week.
He also said there is a trend for
students who sign the petition to become
interested in working for the effort. He
cited the 1975 PIRG effort when “the
group began with 10 petitioners, but in
the end had about 100.”
Goldsmith said if Students for Penn-
PIRG is successful in gaining support
Council delays gun
decision until Nov. 2
By TOM PEELING
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
University Council last night delayed a
decision on the issue of arming campus
police until Nov. 2.
Reggie Spiller (grad.-geology), a
member of the council representing the
Graduate Student Association, moved to
delay the decision because he thinks
“everybody should be heard.”
Spiller was particularly concerned
with the opinions of the Undergraduate
Student Government and the University
Faculty Senate, which will discuss the
issues later this month.
The council agreed to present a report
to University Provost Edward D. Eddy
by next Tuesday, which will be a
“factual summary” of the council
discussions and what the council has
heard from people concerned with the
gun issue, according to Robert J.
Scannell, acting council chairman and
Dean of the College of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation.
“It (the report) attempts to list the
various people who’ve talked to us and
what they’ve said,” Scannell said.
The final report to Eddy will be in five
parts, Scannell said. The parts include
•letters from citizens about the issue, a
transcript of the public hearings held
last week, University Director of Safety
David E. Stormer’s report to council, the
council’s report and the final recom
mendation.
The report from council arid the final
recommendation will not be made public
unless Eddy agrees to release them,
Scannell said.
“We’re really not in a position where
we can release it,” Scannell said in
relation tp the report. “It’s sort of a
tradition more than anything else
around here.”
Relating to the gun issue, the council
heard from three Police Services of-
We want the Lion!
Almost as traditional as the Linn he inn
passed up in the stands is the return of
the alutnni for homecoming. The Lion
will lead the spirited weekend with an
appearance at tonight's parade, bon fire
and fireworks display. He will make his
usual appearance at Beaver Stadium to
morrow for the game with Syracuse.
Pholo by Lynn Oudinsky
from over half the fulltime students at
the University, the group will then ask
the University Board of Trustees to
include the $2 PIRG fee on students'
estimated tuition bills.
Any student who does not wish to pay
the fee may cross it off the bill or receive
a refund at a specified time and location
during the term. Goldsmith said.
“In this way the rights of the in
dividual student are protected," he said.
Every student who pays the PIRG fee
will participate in an election for a local
board of directors, Goldsmith said. “The
local board will be responsible for
establishing priorities for projects on a
local level. Representatives from each
locaj board will sit on a statewide board
which will be responsible for projects on
the statewide level,” he said.
If PennPIRG is established, the
students will hire a professional staff
with whom they will work on consumer,
environmental, human rights, govern
mental responsibility and other public
interest issues. Goldsmith said.
He also said if this drive is successful,
the same type of petition drive will have
to take place every three years.
“It is necessary for funding,” Gold
smith said.
ficers: John Rideout, Bruce Kline and
Ronald Schreffler.
Rideout, who has been a campus of
ficer for seven years, said the image of
the campus police has changed since he
came here when they were looked at by
some people as “Keystone Kops” or
“rent-a-cops.” He said if campus police
were denied guns he would be “very
disappointed because it would show that
our credibility was in doubt."
Kline also said it would be disap
pointing if the officers are denied the
permission to carry arms.
According to Kline, the only tools
carried by campus police now are a
flashlight, a nightstick, handcuffs and
mace.
“I’ve put up with it. I’ve lived with it
because there was a potential for
change,” Kline, who has 851 hours of
classroom police training, said. "I,
myself, would have to consider very
highly looking for another job. ”
Summer will return
We should have a considerable
amount of cloudiness today with
some afternoon peaks of sunshine and
a high of 57. Tonight the clouds will
clear with a low of 44. Both tomorrow
and Sunday look to be mostly sunny
and warmer with a high tomorrow of
67 and 72 likely on Sunday.
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