Des Moines Area Community Community College will have armed security officers on its campuses for the first time this fall. The DMACC board of trustees has unanimously approved hiring both off-duty and retired police officers for DMACC sites. Specific locations will be determined over the next several months, DMACC officials said in a release. The move is part of a larger mental health, safety and security recommendation released by the DMACC Emergency Procedures and Response Committee that has examined the issue over the past year. The college will also continue to retain a number of unarmed security, as it has done for several years. “It’s ultimately the board’s responsibility for the safety and security of all DMACC locations,” said Joe Pugel, chair of the DMACC board of trustees. “Hiring retired and off-duty police officers is a good first step to address this very important issue.”