UManitoba to deploy ISOs to enhance campus security

In an effort to enhance security measures, the University of Manitoba is working with the provincial government to establish Institutional Safety Officer (ISO) positions on campus. CTV News reports that ISOs have some powers of arrest and can carry items such as handcuffs, batons, and aerosol weapons. Officers will complete mandatory training so that they are prepared to handle a variety of situations, including de-escalation, conflict management, and suicide prevention. “On campus, we respond to around 6,800 calls, and there’s a good portion of those calls that, before, would have been pure police events,” explained UManitoba director of campus safety and security Gordon Perrier. “This is really folding in as a community, assisting our police services, and having the ability to act under different pieces of legislation.”