There was a long list of things Ohio University could have done to improve campus safety, but for most people, having a Special Response Team wasn't at the top of that list.
OU didn't need this sign of police muscle. Sure, things can get out of hand at Halloween or during a rare couch burning. But does this justify an expensive SWAT team? No. Everyone is on edge since the shootings at Virginia Tech, but putting money into a SWAT team that probably won't be used is wrong.
Paying nearly $50,000 for something that will probably not be used is a waste. This cash could have been used to hire another officer, install more blue lights on campus or even improve residence hall locks. Instead, OU got riot cops.
The argument for training officers is that the closest SWAT team is in Columbus. But the question that comes to mind is when has there been a desperate need for a SWAT team? The only one that pops into the mind is the infamous This Bike is a Pipe Bomb embarrassment, when OUPD mistook a bicycle plastered with a band sticker for a bomb threat. However, when it comes to bomb threats, OU students are still out of luck. Our shiny new SWAT team is not equipped to handle bomb scares. OUPD will still have to call in help from Columbus.
And this is not even getting into the brand new toys that came with the SWAT team, the all-important arsenal OUPD seems to be acquiring. For a small, quiet city like Athens, this seems excessive.
What to do now that we all live in the era of SWAT at OU? Perhaps, as good, concerned OU students who like to keep officers on their toes, there should be the world's largest party. Yes, someone needs to step up and be the first party to get the SWAT team called out. Consider it a challenge, to be the almighty party school of our yesteryear reputation and have tear gas bring an end to your latest get-together.
It is kind of nice, though, to see OU spending money on something other than another administrator.
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