Police: Campus not vulnerable to 'Â?gray area' of conceal-carry
Published March 2, 2004
When on a UM system campus, MU Police Department said they expect firearms to stay at home, despite the recent ruling on the conceal-carry law.
The systemwide policy concerning concealed weapons states that conceal and carry endorsement does not permit any person to carry concealed weapons on university property, including parking garages and athletic facilities.
MU Police Department Interim Chief Jack Watring said he does not think the law will affect the campus at all.
Watring said only authorized personnel can carry weapons on campus.
"We have a facility on campus to store any type of weapons," Watring said. "People can check in their weapons when they come to campus and check it back out when they leave."
Watring said MUPD does not plan to change any of its patrolling policies.
"The university police department is certainly aware of concealed weapons" he said. "We will make sure our officers are as well-versed as they can be on both the state statute and the university's policy."
Missouri Students Association President Brian Laoruangroch said he doesn't expect the law to affect campus.
"I don't really think it will be a problem," he said. "We had one shooting last semester, but it was off-campus, and it's such a rare instance, unlike some other places. I've looked at the police reports, and I'd like to think we have a really safe campus."
However, some in the General Assembly are questioning this safety . Referring to the death of freshman Charles Blondis, who was shot at an off-campus house party in November, Rep. Vicky Riback Wilson, D-Columbia, said she is worried about the possibility of another student dying because of a gun.
"I am concerned about the increase in concealed weapons," she said. "I think the result is likely to be far more accidental injuries and perhaps even deaths. There was an incident where an MU student was shot at a party by a man carrying a weapon. I think the opportunity for accidents increases when people start to carry concealed weapons."
The suspect in the Blondis case, 20-year-old Taron Crawford, is scheduled to go to trial this month.
Wilson said the law leaves a "gray area" about where concealed weapons are prohibited.
"The law states that concealed weapons can not be taken into educational facilities," she said. "It's not clear how that will be interpreted. Is a dorm an educational facility?
"Another gray area is in regards to sports facilities," she said. "The law states that one cannot take a gun into an arena that seats a certain number of people, but there's a question about whether a weapon can be taken into a smaller facility where emotions run high."