MCC Daily Tribune

Long Rifles for MCC Public Safety Peace Officers

As you are likely aware, our college community has been evaluating whether to add long rifles to the tools our public safety professionals have at their disposal to keep us safe. Throughout the fall of 2023, there was a college-wide consultation where the administration met with various stakeholders, including faculty, staff, students, and the Board of Trustees across our locations. The MCC community was also invited to participate in a survey on this subject. Thank you to all who participated in the listening sessions and/or the survey on this topic.

Inquiries from the Monroe County Legislature, beginning in August 2023, also helped to inform the President’s decision of an ongoing discussion about adding long rifles for public safety’s peace officers use.

This process has been supported by MCC’s Chief of Public Safety, Stephen Wise, and Public Safety Training Facility (PSTF) Dean Mike Karnes. They publicly presented and addressed questions regarding the additional equipment and the corresponding training at the Public Safety Training Facility, which mirrors that of law enforcement personnel in both the county and the city.

Through these conversations, combined with the understanding that many of our fellow SUNY institutions have already made this addition to their campuses, President Burt-Nanna informed the Board of Trustees at their recent meeting of her decision to move forward with having these weapons available for our public safety professionals. In addition, the administration has received letters of support from both the Civil Service (CSEA) union and the MCC Student Government Association (SGA) on this topic.

Peace officers at MCC will use these weapons and secure them consistent with local law enforcement policy, out of plain sight, unless a violent, critical incident arises where their use becomes necessary. MCC’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles remains a component of our public safety training.

The authority for this decision comes from MCC Policy 5.1 Arming Members of the Public Safety Department Policy, which states, “The Board of Trustees delegates to the President the ability to arm duly licensed and trained members of the College’s department of Public Safety.”

MCC is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all members of our campus community. We will continue our ongoing approach of working with and listening to our campus community.

Stephen Wise
Public Safety
02/06/2024