Str8Shooter
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At least one Colorado college is showing some common sense. Also, there's a poll on one of the Denver news channels asking viewers what they think of CSU's decision. So far, those in favor are winning. The poll is on the 9 News home page: http://www.9news.com/
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=69940
FORT COLLINS - Police at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado say allowing concealed weapons on campus is more trouble than its worth, but Colorado State University is sticking to its policy that allows permit-holders to carry their guns.
CSU doesn't allow guns in its dormitories, instead forcing students to store their weapons at the police department, but three years ago reaffirmed its concealed-carry policy. The university will review the policy because of the Virginia Tech shootings, though there's no timeline for the review.
CSU's police chief deferred comment to a CSU spokesman, who said the university doesn't have an official opinion about whether allowing or banning concealed weapons improves campus safety. CSU police recommended in 2004 that the school allow permit holders to carry guns.
"There was a lack of concrete information on whether it was safer to allow or not allow (concealed weapons) on campus," university spokesman Brad Bohlander said.
The number of concealed-carry permits issued in Larimer County exploded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2002, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office issued 1,072 concealed weapons permits, which nearly doubled the county's permits to 2,264.
Since then, the number of permits has grown to 3,078. Permits are good for five years.
It is unknown how many of those permit-holders are college students.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden denied a request for a list of concealed-weapon permit holders in the county. Under state law, as the custodian of those records, it's up to Alderden to decide whether to release them.
Colorado law allows permit holders to carry their weapons on campus but also allows the governing board of each school to prohibit them, steps UNC and CU have taken.
There are several reasons concealed weapons on campus aren't a good idea, said CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley, the agency's spokesman.
One of the bigger concerns is that if a civilian with a gun tries to intervene during an on-campus shooting, officers would have a hard time making a distinction between the attacker and the civilian, Wiesley said.
"How do officers make the consideration of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy?" Wiesley said.
Initial descriptions are not always accurate, he said, putting the officer in the position of sorting out who's who.
Civilians don't have the training that police do to react to something like a school shooting, Wiesley said.
UNC police Chief Wendy Rich-Goldschmidt said weapons aren't appropriate on campus, but not just because of training or possible complications.
They can also disrupt the academic environment, Rich-Goldschmidt said.
"Weapons tend to create some sort of alarm," she said.
However, count Alderden as an advocate for allowing guns on campus. He also said gun carriers should intervene when they can.
When an area such as a public school or a college campus goes gun-free, there's nothing to deter a would-be shooter because they know there isn't anyone with a concealed weapon in that place, Alderden said.
A faculty member or student with a concealed weapon could have helped the Virginia Tech shooting, which killed 33 people, including the gunman, end differently, Alderden said. He cited the Oct. 1, 1997, shooting at Pearl High School in Pearl, Miss., as an example.
On that day, 16-year-old Luke Woodham opened fire with a rifle at the school, killing two girls and wounding seven others before he was confronted by Vice Principal Joel Myrick, who had retrieved his .45-caliber handgun from his car. Myrick chased Woodham down and held him until police arrived.
Students are mixed in their reaction to guns on campus but don't seem to favor it.
"If someone is disturbed enough to do it, they're going to do it," CSU senior Sean Williams said. "That (saying concealed weapons will deter violence) is applying logic to an illogical situation."
CSU senior Crystal Korry said she is supportive of CSU's policy, though it isn't a matter of safety for her. She said guns don't make "a whole lot of difference" in that respect.
For Korry, it's a matter of Second Amendment rights. People shouldn't be alarmed about legal concealed-weapons carriers on campus because of the very rigorous process needed to get the permit, Korry said.
"It's not like they hand out those permits at grocery stores," she said.
CSU sophomore Jessica Rota doesn't agree that a Virginia Tech-type situation at CSU would end more quickly by allowing concealed weapons than not allowing them. It could actually make it worse, she said, because although someone with a permit might be proficient with a gun, they might not know how to respond in that type of situation.
"They think they know what they're doing, but they don't," she said.
(Copyright Fort Collins Coloradoan, All Rights Reserved.)
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.9news.com/rss/article.aspx?storyid=69940
FORT COLLINS - Police at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado say allowing concealed weapons on campus is more trouble than its worth, but Colorado State University is sticking to its policy that allows permit-holders to carry their guns.
CSU doesn't allow guns in its dormitories, instead forcing students to store their weapons at the police department, but three years ago reaffirmed its concealed-carry policy. The university will review the policy because of the Virginia Tech shootings, though there's no timeline for the review.
CSU's police chief deferred comment to a CSU spokesman, who said the university doesn't have an official opinion about whether allowing or banning concealed weapons improves campus safety. CSU police recommended in 2004 that the school allow permit holders to carry guns.
"There was a lack of concrete information on whether it was safer to allow or not allow (concealed weapons) on campus," university spokesman Brad Bohlander said.
The number of concealed-carry permits issued in Larimer County exploded after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2002, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office issued 1,072 concealed weapons permits, which nearly doubled the county's permits to 2,264.
Since then, the number of permits has grown to 3,078. Permits are good for five years.
It is unknown how many of those permit-holders are college students.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden denied a request for a list of concealed-weapon permit holders in the county. Under state law, as the custodian of those records, it's up to Alderden to decide whether to release them.
Colorado law allows permit holders to carry their weapons on campus but also allows the governing board of each school to prohibit them, steps UNC and CU have taken.
There are several reasons concealed weapons on campus aren't a good idea, said CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley, the agency's spokesman.
One of the bigger concerns is that if a civilian with a gun tries to intervene during an on-campus shooting, officers would have a hard time making a distinction between the attacker and the civilian, Wiesley said.
"How do officers make the consideration of who is the good guy and who is the bad guy?" Wiesley said.
Initial descriptions are not always accurate, he said, putting the officer in the position of sorting out who's who.
Civilians don't have the training that police do to react to something like a school shooting, Wiesley said.
UNC police Chief Wendy Rich-Goldschmidt said weapons aren't appropriate on campus, but not just because of training or possible complications.
They can also disrupt the academic environment, Rich-Goldschmidt said.
"Weapons tend to create some sort of alarm," she said.
However, count Alderden as an advocate for allowing guns on campus. He also said gun carriers should intervene when they can.
When an area such as a public school or a college campus goes gun-free, there's nothing to deter a would-be shooter because they know there isn't anyone with a concealed weapon in that place, Alderden said.
A faculty member or student with a concealed weapon could have helped the Virginia Tech shooting, which killed 33 people, including the gunman, end differently, Alderden said. He cited the Oct. 1, 1997, shooting at Pearl High School in Pearl, Miss., as an example.
On that day, 16-year-old Luke Woodham opened fire with a rifle at the school, killing two girls and wounding seven others before he was confronted by Vice Principal Joel Myrick, who had retrieved his .45-caliber handgun from his car. Myrick chased Woodham down and held him until police arrived.
Students are mixed in their reaction to guns on campus but don't seem to favor it.
"If someone is disturbed enough to do it, they're going to do it," CSU senior Sean Williams said. "That (saying concealed weapons will deter violence) is applying logic to an illogical situation."
CSU senior Crystal Korry said she is supportive of CSU's policy, though it isn't a matter of safety for her. She said guns don't make "a whole lot of difference" in that respect.
For Korry, it's a matter of Second Amendment rights. People shouldn't be alarmed about legal concealed-weapons carriers on campus because of the very rigorous process needed to get the permit, Korry said.
"It's not like they hand out those permits at grocery stores," she said.
CSU sophomore Jessica Rota doesn't agree that a Virginia Tech-type situation at CSU would end more quickly by allowing concealed weapons than not allowing them. It could actually make it worse, she said, because although someone with a permit might be proficient with a gun, they might not know how to respond in that type of situation.
"They think they know what they're doing, but they don't," she said.
(Copyright Fort Collins Coloradoan, All Rights Reserved.)
