Villanova students protest armed campus police

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- Students at Villanova University gathered on Friday afternoon to show their opposition to the school's decision to include armed police officers as part of campus security.

Between 100 and 200 students came out for the rally.

The group, called "Concerned Villanovans," petitioned the administration, saying they were deeply troubled by the decision to arm officers and want to meet with the administration.

The new plan calls for 19 of the 75 member public safety department to get police academy training and carry guns.

The protesters aware many other schools including Penn and Temple have armed officers, but maintain it's a bad fit for their school.

"I think it's a response in fear, I don't think guns are a solution to guns, and I don't think it aligns with Catholic values of this university," said student Sarah Weiss.

The protesters also upset over how the decision was made, saying the university never released the results of student surveys about the issue.

When asked about what he wanted, Brendan Carchidi said "Primarily to demand the repeal of the policy that Father Peter and the board of trustees have put in place to arm the Department of Public Safety."

But others on this campus of 10,000 say they are comfortable with both the process and the administration's final decision.

"I think it's a good idea, helps us feel more protected with all that's been going around," said Maxwell Frazier.

"When you think about it the university is like a small-to-medium sized city itself, so having cops here armed would not be a bad idea," said Louis Rondinella.

The protesters say so far their requested to meet with the administration has been unanswered.

The school expects the first officers will be ready by the fall of 2016.