SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. -- The Rhode Island Board of Education voted Thursday night to allow the state's public colleges and universities to arm their campus police.
However, the final decision will be left up to each institution in consultation with its faculty and staff.
Only one board member was opposed, William C. Maaia.
Earlier, faculty member after faculty member testified against arming campus police, at the meeting held on the University of Rhode Island's Kingston campus. One faculty member said it would increase violence and lead to unnecessary accidents.
Two URI police officers disputed charges that minority youth would be targeted if campus police were armed. One officer said that at Brown University, where police are armed, there have been no incidents related to that.