EMitch, I applaud you for your efforts to help educate campus policy makers - and for being a sheepdog. Your campus is safer for it.

However (and this is just an opinion worth exactly what it costs you), you need to be very careful in drawing attention to concealed carry persons. Part of the advantage a CCW person has is the element of surprise and anonymity. That keeps the BG's guessing. If he knew who the good guy's were, he could single them out with the first magazine.

Issuing faux badges to CCW-holders can lead to a false sense of power, importance, and grandeur among some. Remember, even though you are a CCW-er, you are not a LEO. You do not have the training or the skills or the authority. A badge can make some forget that.

There is the additional factor of public fear of an armed, organized, non-governmental group. No matter how well trained or legal, lights and bells go off in people's minds when they hear such things. Fear leads to irrationality, and that leads to noise about restricting rights.

If you organize, keep it positive and quiet. Do community improvement work, training (see below), and other things to show that CCW-er's are not scary. They are simply good citizens who care and are willing to take additional risks, if necessary, to protect themselves and others.

Here's a couple of other suggestions you might want to consider:

1) Take the courses to become an NRA Instructor. You would then have the credentials to teach courses laying the path down for other students to learn and become CCW holders. It might also give you a degree of title and respect with your local LEO's (but don't count on it!).

2) Invite others who are less informed about CCW to take some of your classes. Education can go a long way towards reducing fear.

3) Depending upon the leadership of your local law enforcement office, you might consider a dialog with them. Perhaps beginning with the phrase "What can I and other CCW holders do in the case of an emergency to make your job easier?", or "If the worst were to happen, how should a CCW-holder identify themselves to your officers during an event?" (perhaps a yelled, pre-arranged code word?). Questions along those lines.

Make it clear that you want to help prevent a disaster on your campus, and that you wish to support your LEO's in any way you can. Be their friend, not their foe. I'm certain there's many LEO's on this forum that could help guide you in this task.

Again, please don't take this post negatively. I think you are doing the right thing - just be careful and aware!

1114

quote:

Originally posted by jjkroll32:
1094.

I'm in favor, but I think that there needs to be a good deal of regulation.

For example, I think that there needs to be a strict psychological screening. There also should be fairly extensive specialized training, above and beyond CCW permits. There should be more strict accuracy guidelines as well. A college campus is a very special place with its own concerns. Most people would be under prepared with only CCW training to be able to make proper decisions on their own movements to make.

It's a complicated matter, but with proper training and regulation it could end up being a very great thing.

I feel this way about churches. And bowling alleys. Can't forget malls. Not to mention gas stations. Public parks of course. You surely need a psychological evaluation to carry in a fast food restaurant with fairly extensive specialized training above and beyond CCW permits.

Don't you agree?

quote:

Originally posted by EMitch:
One idea I had come up with on the SCCC facebook page was making students who want to carry concealed on campus part of campus security. Have them be basically under cover, similar to Air Marshals. Go through similar training, at least firearms wise, as the standard security/police for the campus. I don't think that the students should have to meet the same physical requirements, as they would NOT be chasing the gunman.

Also issue them badges so that they can be identified quickly in the case of an emergency.

That way, everyone knows that anyone that is legally carrying is known to the proper people and that they have the same training.

Any opinions on this?

Note: my campus has its own police force, and is about 1-2 miles from the city police/sheriff's station.

We could also make CCW holders part of the police department. Basically they are undercover officers.

Sarcasm aside, they are not security or police officers. Do you know the extensive training that air marshals get? It is a very intense course of fire that they go through.

I agree. they are not LEOS.
This is change.Somwhere in the past
school suits decided that the parents($$) probably wouldn't like there kids on a campus where
people are allowed to cc .So they made rules.
Now there is a border where,if you carry, you can't cross. Ok in town but not on campus.
So with all the school shootings this is being revisited..Good idea in my mind(i signed) ..But don't make
them police there own.
I think teachers should be allowed to cc in highschools as well.

1126 baby!

Done, 1129.

#1130 Let's keep it going.


LZ

As a university student, I took up this cause too. I participated in the empty holster protest back in April, and didn't draw much attention. The attention I did get was universally positive, though.

Ohio's a great state for gun laws, but there's always room for improvement.

1139. Good luck. It is a very worthwhile cause.