East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 12-2018 Officer Perceptions on Armed Campuses Paul Perry East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons Recommended Citation Perry, Paul, "Officer Perceptions on Armed Campuses" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3500. https://dc.etsu.edu/ etd/3500 This Thesis - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Officer Perceptions on Armed Campuses _______________________ A thesis presented to the faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and Criminology ______________________ by Paul Steven Perry December 2018 _______________________ Larry S. Miller, Ph.D., Chair Dustin Osborne, Ph.D. Nicole Prior, Ph.D. Chris Rush, Ph.D. Keywords: Campus Security, Armed Campuses, Perceptions, Concealed Carry ABSTRACT Campus: Security Perceptions on Armed Campuses by Paul Steven Perry This research was intended to investigate the perceptions of firearm policies and the views held by campus security personnel regarding student or teacher carry on campus. The purpose of the interviews was to investigate campus security officer’s perceptions and how they differ based upon individual belief systems. The goal, therefore, was to understand how their perspectives on campus carry could impact interactions with students and faculty. Exploring a representative sample of current firearm policies, both on and off campus, established a framework that exposed the opinions of campus security personnel and gave some insight into the potential impact that might occur from implementing various policies. As a result, the coverage of these materials was pivotal regarding firearm policy and to show how unique perspectives can develop and create a better understanding of campus policing. This was especially true given the dearth of research into violence on campuses and the perspective of individuals that are tasked with the protection of the institutes. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................2 LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................6 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................7 The Debate ...................................................................................................................7 Problem and Purpose Statement ...................................................................................7 Definitions of Terms ....................................................................................................9 Research Questions ....................................................................................................11 Limitations .............................................................................................................12 Summary.....................................................................................................................14 2. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................15 Introduction ............................................................................................................15 Gun Policy Scope ...................................................................................................15 Tennessee State Campus Carry Policy ................................................................17 East Tennessee State University Policy ..............................................................18 Variance in United States ....................................................................................19 Gun Law Effects .................................................................................................21 Reasoning for Harmful Effects ...........................................................................25 Campus versus Traditional Policing ...................................................................26 Clergy Act ...........................................................................................................27 Role of Campus Police ........................................................................................28 ETSU Public Safety Officers ..............................................................................31 Individual Perspectives ..........................................................................................32 Geographical Location ......................................................................................32 Race ...................................................................................................................33 Gender ...............................................................................................................34 Education ...........................................................................................................35 Age ....................................................................................................................36 Campus Carry Effect on Officers ..........................................................................36 Bedrock of Study ...................................................................................................39 3 3. METHODs .......................................................................................................................42 Introduction ................................................................................................................42 Sample....................................................................................................................43 Demographics ........................................................................................................44 Location .................................................................................................................45 Research Questions ................................................................................................45 Role of Researcher .....................................................................................................48 Materials ................................................................................................................48 Research Designs & Treatment ..................................................................................49 Univariate ...............................................................................................................51 Bivariate .................................................................................................................51 Data Analysis .........................................................................................................52 Summary .....................................................................................................................54 4. RESULTS ..........................................................................................................................56 Introduction ................................................................................................................56 Demographics ........................................................................................................57 Developing Themes ...............................................................................................58 Theme One: Increase Campus Safety .........................................................................60 Training of Concealed Carry .................................................................................60 Properly Vetted ......................................................................................................61 Illegally Concealed ................................................................................................61 Self-defense and Deterrence ..................................................................................61 Theme Two: Decrease Campus Safety .......................................................................62 Misidentification of The Shooter ...........................................................................62 Dispute Turn Deadly ..............................................................................................62 Fear of The Students ..............................................................................................63 Fear of The Faculty ................................................................................................63 Theme Three: No Effect on Campus Safety ...............................................................63 No Effect on Crime ................................................................................................64 Proactive Policing ..................................................................................................64