Yale University police officers rallied against a new firearms policy, alleging that the latest standards could potentially put their jobs at risk.
Approximately 70 members of the Yale Police Department (YPD) union, the Yale Police Benevolent Association, protested the policy, chanting “no range, no train,” reports The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The new firearms policy would let YPD officers get fired if they cannot pass a firearms test within 30 working days of failing it twice. Previously, the policy allowed them to train and retake the test as many times as they needed.
Many of the officers feel that the new policy threatens their job, as they do not have an adequate amount of time to prepare for it. According to a spokesperson for the officers union, the shortage of ranges forces officers to travel further distances to train.
Mike Hall, the spokesman, alleged that officers had to travel as far as an hour away to Glastonbury, Conn, as the ranges at the New Haven Police Department were all being utilized.
Hall argued that officers should have 90 days to re-take the test, instead of 30 working days.
“It’s about the time and length that we have to qualify. We want to be proficient, but you have got to give us time,” Rich Simons, the YPBA president and a YPD patrolman, maintained.
University spokesman Thomas Conroy argued that Yale police officers will be able to use the New Haven Police Department’s shooting ranges once renovations are completed.
“Yale officers are provided with ample opportunity to qualify with their service weapons,” Conroy said.
He also pointed out that the policy change allows officers 30 working days to retake the test, rather than 30 calendar days.
The Yale Police Department did not return The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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