firearms on college campus - laws?

[stan]

i stopped in at the campus police today to ask about any laws i was unaware of. the guy (rank/title unknown, wearing a badge) said i had to have it in a locked container. i was specific in that it was a long gun, but he insisted it had to be locked up. this sounds like FUD to me, but I want to ask the right people to be sure.

example scenario: my ar in its soft bag on the floor behind the front seats (black interior, and very tinted windows, so hardly visible) unloaded. car parked in community college parking lot during normal daytime hours. legal or illegal?

and if anyone doesnt understand why i would want this, two words: virginia tech.

[kf6tac]

Where do you go to college? Under California state law, guns are forbidden on all campuses/property of private and public universities and colleges. If you go to college in another state, that's up to that state.

[pingpong]

Keep in mind that even if the state is OK with it, the college itself might have policies against it. For example, it's legal to carry a knife on the UC campus per state laws, but the UC has student conduct polices against it. Of course, that only affects students; what are they gonna do to me, expel me?

[DedEye]

Keep in mind that even if the state is OK with it, the college itself might have policies against it. For example, it's legal to carry a knife on the UC campus per state laws, but the UC has student conduct polices against it. Of course, that only affects students; what are they gonna do to me, expel me?

Potentially, yeah.

i stopped in at the campus police today to ask about any laws i was unaware of. the guy (rank/title unknown, wearing a badge) said i had to have it in a locked container. i was specific in that it was a long gun, but he insisted it had to be locked up. this sounds like FUD to me, but I want to ask the right people to be sure.

example scenario: my ar in its soft bag on the floor behind the front seats (black interior, and very tinted windows, so hardly visible) unloaded. car parked in community college parking lot during normal daytime hours. legal or illegal?

and if anyone doesnt understand why i would want this, two words: virginia tech.

The cop you spoke with gave you bad advice that could have ended you up in some serious trouble. UnFUD, if you will. Reverse FUD, maybe.

Either way, KF6tac covered it. Don't even drive across school property with a firearm in a secure locked container in your vehicle.

[Jason762]

and if anyone doesnt understand why i would want this, two words: virginia tech.

So if some guy goes to your school and starts shooting people, you're gonna run to your car and grab your "AR-15 assault weapon" and hunt this guy down?

That's what pistols are for!

No seriously tho... can you imagine the media coverage in such an event? "Today, a student goes on a shooting rampage at Campus X when another separate, splinter cell shooter, fired on and killed the first shooter. Police were able to detain the second shooter before he could kill any other innocent bystanders. It is said that the second shooter was carrying an AR-15 assault weapon, currently banned under California state law".

[stan]

Where do you go to college? Under California state law, guns are forbidden on all campuses/property of private and public universities and colleges. If you go to college in another state, that's up to that state.

where can i find information on that? GFSZs are kindergarten through 12th grade. this would definitely be the first time i got anti-FUD from a cop LOL

[kf6tac]

where can i find information on that? GFSZs are kindergarten through 12th grade. this would definitely be the first time i got anti-FUD from a cop LOL

The restriction on colleges (which is basically absolute unless you're LEO/military) is part of the GFSZ law -- the part that deals with colleges is California Penal Code Sec. 626.9(h).

You can find most of the relevant portions of the GFSZ law in the Wiki: http://wiki.calgunsfoundation.org/in...e_School_Zones

[wildhawker]

kf6, nice link to the Wiki. I'm really liking how on-board everyone has been so far.

[stan]

wow that really is a good link. totally shocking that i got antifud from campus police. now if i got it on tape of them saying that, technically could they be considered a designee of admin and thusly i would have "permission" as sort of a CYA measure?

[GrizzlyGuy]

where can i find information on that? GFSZs are kindergarten through 12th grade. this would definitely be the first time i got anti-FUD from a cop LOL

See the first bullet point in the answer to this FAQ question: Where/when are some places/times that I CAN NOT HAVE A FIREARM?

[Cpl. Haas]

So if some guy goes to your school and starts shooting people, you're gonna run to your car and grab your "AR-15 assault weapon" and hunt this guy down?

That's what pistols are for!

No seriously tho... can you imagine the media coverage in such an event? "Today, a student goes on a shooting rampage at Campus X when another separate, splinter cell shooter, fired on and killed the first shooter. Police were able to detain the second shooter before he could kill any other innocent bystanders. It is said that the second shooter was carrying an AR-15 assault weapon, currently banned under California state law".

+1

It's one thing if you were allowed to CCW, had a pistol on you, and someone started shooting in the same room or building you're in... in that situation, you're in immediate danger and could potentially seek out and neutralize the threat within a minute of the first shot being fired. If all went well and you had the training to back up your actions, the danger would be over by the time the first-responders arrived.

However, it's another thing altogether to hear gunfire nearby, run up to a half-mile to your car (depending on where you're parked), retrieve your AR-15, and... here's where the problem comes up... run back through campus with a rifle in your hands as first-responders are responding to reports of an active-shooter!

In the above situation, you're likely to cause more harm than good; responding officers will be preoccupied dealing with you as a potential threat, or will be receiving conflicting reports about the number of gunmen and location (with people calling in the original shooter, and "some guy with an assault rifle running past the library"). You also run the very real risk of being shot by said responders in the chaos of the moment.

Then, even if there's never a shooting while you're there, you still run the risk of a vehicle break-in and having to explain why you're rifle was stolen from your car while on campus.

Overall, not a good or practical idea IMHO unless you have a CCW...

[GrizzlyGuy]

wow that really is a good link. totally shocking that i got antifud from campus police. now if i got it on tape of them saying that, technically could they be considered a designee of admin and thusly i would have "permission" as sort of a CYA measure?

No. Written permission is needed, and the campus police may or may not qualify as a "designee" of the college president. From 626.9 (h) and (i):

...unless it is with the written permission of the university or college
president, his or her designee, or equivalent university or college
authority...

[kf6tac]

wow that really is a good link. totally shocking that i got antifud from campus police. now if i got it on tape of them saying that, technically could they be considered a designee of admin and thusly i would have "permission" as sort of a CYA measure?

This is just an educated guess on my part, but it would most likely take far more than the fact that he's a campus police officer to establish him as the designee of the campus administrator. Just as individual police officers are not necessarily designees of the local CLEO just by virtue of their being police officers, an individual university employee most likely is not the designee of the campus administrator simply by being university employees. You'd probably need some evidence that the administrator specifically designated a given individual (e.g., by specifically assigning them the task of dealing with granting permission to have a firearm, specifically creating a position to deal with that task, etc.).

EDIT: And as GrizzlyGuy just pointed out before me, you'd need written permission, not just a recording of the guy talking.

[DedEye]

kf6, nice link to the Wiki. I'm really liking how on-board everyone has been so far.

I've been threatening people with physical violence.

[stan]

well i guess ill just park across the street from campus on days i have a weapon in the car? 1000 ft rule apply to colleges? what i read on the wiki seemed to indicate that for colleges it was on campus only.