Rethinking leaving a gun in my truck at my College.

[TexasComputerDude]

I wanted to share an experience I had at my college and I didn't want to hijack another thread. I had a scare recently at my college. I was involved in a small fender bender inside the parking garage of my college. My massive trucked backed into a tiny car hiding to close to my bumper. Well, needless to say I was SCARED they would want to call the police because I am sure they would ask me for ID and then I'd have to show my CHL. My entire college career flashed before my eyes and I saw it vaporize in a cloud of smoke.

Thankfully they were fine with driving over to a gas station away from college to trade insurance info and we didn't need to have the police be involved. I don't know if I will be keeping my weapon in my truck anymore.

If we can't get campus carry passed, I wonder why we couldn't make it illegal for the police to mention anything that isn't illegal to a campus. The police should enforce laws, not university policies.

[surferdaddy]

I was under the impression that it was ok to have a weapon locked in your car. I could be way wrong.

[TexasComputerDude]

Well from what I've heard is that even though its ok and you won't get in trouble with the law, the police will still inform your school and then they will take action against you. I hope I am wrong.

[74novaman]

I had a pistol in my center console and an AK in the trunk when I lived on campus (05-09). Never had a problem.

[C-dub]

I had a pistol in my center console and an AK in the trunk when I lived on campus (05-09). Never had a problem.

Yes Mr. Novaman, but did you ever have to show your CHL to an officer during that period that indicated you had a gun on or about your person?

[kjolly]

We need to pass Campus Carry. Someone whoose only concern is their own safety should not have to jepordize their education. Personaly I'm almost 62 and never go on campus but this should pass. After all a CHL holder is not a young college kid, they are 21.

[RPB]

We need to pass Campus Carry. Someone whoose only concern is their own safety should not have to jepordize their education. Personaly I'm almost 62 and never go on campus but this should pass. After all a CHL holder is not a young college kid, they are 21.

Except I started college at 25, after finding out that there is more money to be made if I had a degree than not ...
more and more due to people being laid off and economy, the average age of students is rising as they seek re-training after job obsolescence etc. I'm about 60-ish now and considering I'm retired, thinking of going to law school for 3 years after I'm done raising my niece.

[74novaman]

I had a pistol in my center console and an AK in the trunk when I lived on campus (05-09). Never had a problem.

Yes Mr. Novaman, but did you ever have to show your CHL to an officer during that period that indicated you had a gun on or about your person?

Nope. But if I had, I was complying with both the law and school regulations. Both banned weapons on the premesis, specifically excluding parking structures.

So if I had shown a chl, my guns were stored where both law and policy said I should store them.

Check your student handbook, OP. You might not even be violating policy.

[n5wd]

After all a CHL holder is not a young college kid, they are 21.

Some are, some are older, some are much older, and you'd probably be surprised at the number 17 and 18 year olds in college, as well.

[n5wd]

If we can't get campus carry passed, I wonder why we couldn't make it illegal for the police to mention anything that isn't illegal to a campus. The police should enforce laws, not university policies.

If your university has its own police department, then the cops, there, are doing what they should do, according to the folks that hire them (the administration) when they report student code violations to the administration.

If, on the other hand, the cops who respond to the school aren't employed by the school (i.e. they're city police, or county deputy sheriffs), then they're probably not going to go tattling to the dean of student life about your CHL.

[nakedbike]

If we can't get campus carry passed, I wonder why we couldn't make it illegal for the police to mention anything that isn't illegal to a campus. The police should enforce laws, not university policies.

If your university has its own police department, then the cops, there, are doing what they should do, according to the folks that hire them (the administration) when they report student code violations to the administration.

If, on the other hand, the cops who respond to the school aren't employed by the school (i.e. they're city police, or county deputy sheriffs), then they're probably not going to go tattling to the dean of student life about your CHL.

Do campus police have the power to enforce Texas laws? Would you need to show them your CHL in the event of a stop/interaction where they ask for ID?

[Thomas]

Do campus police have the power to enforce Texas laws? Would you need to show them your CHL in the event of a stop/interaction where they ask for ID?

If they are also a real police officer, then yes.

[terryg]

Most university police departments are full fledged state recognized law enforcement agencies. Their officers can, and frequently will, respond to calls for assistance in nearby jurisdictions.

Working for a private and very anti-gun college, this has been one of my concerns for sometime. Under the new parking lot bill, I can now legally have and leave my gun in my car. But if I am ever pulled over on campus, I would be legally required to show my CHL to the officer who is also a university employee. Further, a vehicle break in on campus would necessitate filing the report with the campus police. The campus police chief reports directly to the VP for Administration for the University. Not a great situation to be in.

[nakedbike]

Seems like you need to park off campus and take a shuttle to work.

[Skiprr]

Do campus police have the power to enforce Texas laws? Would you need to show them your CHL in the event of a stop/interaction where they ask for ID?

For the most part, yes. The applicable definitions of what constitutes a "peace officer" under the Texas Penal Code can be found in Article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... 2.htm#2.12). That in turn also will point you to Section 37.081 of the Education Code (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /ED.37.htm), Subchapter E, Chapter 51 of the Education Code (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /ED.51.htm), Chapter 54 of the Transportation Code (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... /TN.54.htm), and Chapter 554 (specifically Section 554.010) of the Occupations Code (http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/D ... OC.554.htm).

For those of us who carry under a CHL, if you haven't done so I'd recommend review of those statutes to understand who really can be a "peace officer" and to whom we need to show our license if asked for identification. Campus officers commissioned as peace officers are certainly included, but there are others you may or may not have considered.

Something interesting is that the Penal Code §1.07(a)(36) references two Sections of the Education Code, but omits an important one. PC §1.07(a)(36) points to Education Code §§51.212 and 51.214, but it is §51.203 that describes the campus officer at a state-owned institution...all three Sections apply, though.