Campus carry would cost Texas colleges millions

[mojo84]

With two to three kids in a small dorm room, there are very few secrets.

[PaJ]

Categorically I dont disagree...but, when I was in college a guy on the floor of my dorm had been robbing houses. When they raided his dorm room they found several pistols and rifles hidden above the ceiling tiles. His roommate was clueless. I vaguely knew the guy but would've never thought that.

[mojo84]

Categorically I dont disagree...but, when I was in college a guy on the floor of my dorm had been robbing houses. When they raided his dorm room they found several pistols and rifles hidden above the ceiling tiles. His roommate was clueless. I vaguely knew the guy but would've never thought that.

There are exceptions to everything. We are not talking about a thief that is hiding things in the ceiling after burglaries. We are talking about someone that will be legally carrying a handgun and putting it on and off daily.

Criminals will do criminal things. Apparently, so.done found out about it or you wouldn't know about it.

[ScooterSissy]

I guess I misunderstood something. Since allowing students with a CHL to carry on-campus will mean that campuses will need to buy gun storage devices, I need to find out the form I'm supposed to fill out to get re-imbursed for the gun storage equipment I bought for my home.

[RogueUSMC]

I guess I misunderstood something. Since allowing students with a CHL to carry on-campus will mean that campuses will need to buy gun storage devices, I need to find out the form I'm supposed to fill out to get re-imbursed for the gun storage equipment I bought for my home.

One of my meters pegged on this one...which one is it? nope, not the bunkometer...no, not the nievetometer...not the captainobviousometer either...which one is beeping?

ooooh, it's the snarkometer! (I always check the bad ones first)...lol

[PaJ]

I guess I misunderstood something. Since allowing students with a CHL to carry on-campus will mean that campuses will need to buy gun storage devices, I need to find out the form I'm supposed to fill out to get re-imbursed for the gun storage equipment I bought for my home.

The article says that gun storage, training costs, etc. will cost $48 million. I am simply pointing out that 'gun storage', practically speaking, is not even close to $1 million much less $48 million. The training they refer to (deescalation) should already be taught to the campus police. Personally I agree that the gun owner has the responsibility to secure their weapon. Campus carry should cost $0 to the school or state.

The entire article is full of lies. There's nothing in the campus carry bill (or anywhere else) that suggests any of the provisions they are stating are required, necessary or even helpful.

[TXBO]

Seems like someone should be able to run the numbers on the ages of students living on campus.

I'm sure it's somewhere. A quick search found an article by Forbes that said that 14% of all college students live on campus. Deductive reasoning would indicate that the majority of that 14% are under 21 years old if for no other reason than the dropout rate of college results in more 1st year students than 2nd year, 2nd year than 3rd year, etc. Assuming the same percentage of 1st year students live on campus as 4th year students, and given the dropout rate is around 50%, there would be a significant number more students under the age of 21 than 21 or above that live on campus. I couldn't find the dropout rate per year so it'd be a pure guess to figure out the exact percentage under 21.

But for grins, let's go high and say 25% of the students in the dorm are 21 or over. So for every 100,000 students, 14,000 live in the dorm and 3,500 are eligible for a CHL. In Texas, one statistic says 2.25% conceal carry, so 79 out of 100,000 college students will have a CHL and live in the dorm. Since there are about $1.6 million college students in Texas, this would mean that there is a total of 1,300 students who live on campus and have a CHL. Even at $100 per lock box, that is a cost of $130,000 for all of the colleges and universities in Texas to have a way for on campus residents to secure their weapons. As others have pointed out, there's no expense for anyone from off campus since they would have the burden of carrying concealed.

This article is just more irrationality to "see what sticks" as someone said earlier.

I would consider it reasonable for the student to pay the $100 for the lock box. After all, I pay for a safe for my home.

It would be reasonable but we all know that a $100 lock box is not much of a deterrent against theft.

[Bladed]

What a crock.

"According to fiscal analyses drawn up by Texas' higher education systems and obtained by the Houston Chronicle, so-called campus carry would cost the University of Texas and University of Houston systems nearly $47 million combined over six years to update security systems, build gun storage facilities and bolster campus police units."

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/ho ... 094445.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Chronicle's news department publishes an article stating, as fact, the unsubstantiated claims of several university systems and a politically motivated State Senator; then the Chronicle's editorial board cites that article as its only factual argument in a petty rant against the authors of the legislation in question: http://is.gd/Y71tL2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ScooterSissy]

I guess I misunderstood something. Since allowing students with a CHL to carry on-campus will mean that campuses will need to buy gun storage devices, I need to find out the form I'm supposed to fill out to get re-imbursed for the gun storage equipment I bought for my home.

The article says that gun storage, training costs, etc. will cost $48 million. I am simply pointing out that 'gun storage', practically speaking, is not even close to $1 million much less $48 million. The training they refer to (deescalation) should already be taught to the campus police. Personally I agree that the gun owner has the responsibility to secure their weapon. Campus carry should cost $0 to the school or state.

The entire article is full of lies. There's nothing in the campus carry bill (or anywhere else) that suggests any of the provisions they are stating are required, necessary or even helpful.

I was being sarcastic (or, as was pointed out, I pegged the "snarkometer").

Obviously, I had to buy my own safe to store my gun in my house, along with my own holster, carry-bag, etc. I would expect no less of those college students that show the maturity to get a CHL. The colleges aren't going to have to pay "millions". There were similar dire warnings of what would happen to local police budgets if Texans were allowed to conceal carry in the 80's and 90's. Naturally, the alleged expenses didn't occur, nor did blood run in the streets.

[v7a]

I can only assume most of the $48 million has been budgeted towards mental health counseling for hoplophobic teachers. Psychiatrists aren't cheap.

[MechAg94]

Seems like someone should be able to run the numbers on the ages of students living on campus.

I'm sure it's somewhere. A quick search found an article by Forbes that said that 14% of all college students live on campus. Deductive reasoning would indicate that the majority of that 14% are under 21 years old if for no other reason than the dropout rate of college results in more 1st year students than 2nd year, 2nd year than 3rd year, etc. Assuming the same percentage of 1st year students live on campus as 4th year students, and given the dropout rate is around 50%, there would be a significant number more students under the age of 21 than 21 or above that live on campus. I couldn't find the dropout rate per year so it'd be a pure guess to figure out the exact percentage under 21.

But for grins, let's go high and say 25% of the students in the dorm are 21 or over. So for every 100,000 students, 14,000 live in the dorm and 3,500 are eligible for a CHL. In Texas, one statistic says 2.25% conceal carry, so 79 out of 100,000 college students will have a CHL and live in the dorm. Since there are about $1.6 million college students in Texas, this would mean that there is a total of 1,300 students who live on campus and have a CHL. Even at $100 per lock box, that is a cost of $130,000 for all of the colleges and universities in Texas to have a way for on campus residents to secure their weapons. As others have pointed out, there's no expense for anyone from off campus since they would have the burden of carrying concealed.

This article is just more irrationality to "see what sticks" as someone said earlier.

I would consider it reasonable for the student to pay the $100 for the lock box. After all, I pay for a safe for my home.

It would be reasonable but we all know that a $100 lock box is not much of a deterrent against theft.

Technically, a $5000 safe is not a full proof prevention of theft either, but it helps. I think we are really talking about preventing casual access from idiot drunkards who may also live in the dorm.

[MechAg94]

Just to back track here. There is a differnce between having a State Law preventing CHL carry on campus and students storing guns in the dorm room. They are not really the same issue. Even if campus carry is passed, I do not think it is unreasonable for the university to impose restrictions on storing guns in dorm rooms based on their status as the landlord. They might even ban gun ownership in dorms based on that status. However, that only affects student living dorms and does not prevent licensed concealed carry in the dorm or the rest of campus.

[mojo84]

Just to back track here. There is a differnce between having a State Law preventing CHL carry on campus and students storing guns in the dorm room. They are not really the same issue. Even if campus carry is passed, I do not think it is unreasonable for the university to impose restrictions on storing guns in dorm rooms based on their status as the landlord. They might even ban gun ownership in dorms based on that status. However, that only affects student living dorms and does not prevent licensed concealed carry in the dorm or the rest of campus.

I disagree.

[MechAg94]

They may not be able to ban guns that way, but I still see it as separate legal issues. However, I do not know if that proposed legislation deals with both or not.

[PaJ]

I had lunch with my son yesterday who is a 19 year old freshman at U of H and lives on campus. We've talked about various issues before around carrying, but we talked very specifically about this issue yesterday. His take was interesting I thought.

1. He is against having guns in the dorms because of potential access by someone not qualified to handle a firearm. He said the stress of college has been rough on him and he's handled it better than most (he is a certified EMT so has more training in stressful situations than most 19 year olds). His concern isn't necessarily mass shootings but also includes suicides. he also realizes that if someone wants to die badly enough they will find a way, but a gun may make action on a bad decision more likely.

2. He is upset that the security guards and even many of the campus police are unarmed. They are essentially useless for a bad situation. In the robbery that happened earlier this week (gun point outside the dorm), a security guard saw the entire thing. From a distance he didn't realize what he was seeing. But even if he did, would he have been able to do anything against an armed robber? He also said that the girls that were robbed made several bad decisions that made them targets. It wasn't entirely a BGWAG situation.

3. He also thinks that CHL's who come onto campus should be able to carry (students, teachers, employees, parents, guests, etc). They can carry everywhere else, and currently are, without the 'wild west' scenario. So why not let them carry on campus.

In his mind, keep them out of student housing and it's fine. He thinks all security and police need to be trained and carry.

My son has always been a "good kid". He's very level headed and dealt with some severe issues at home at a young age, which has made him who he is today. Even though he has a lot to learn, I can say I truly value his opinion on many issues. If he says, "in the dorms would be a bad idea", he knows far better than I. But he also says, "We need protection everywhere else. CHLs should be allowed to carry."

After hearing his view point, I don't believe it's due to "liberal" influences, but from what he lives everyday. It's making me rethink my opinion on carry in dorms. If my son, who loves shooting and wants a CHL someday, says it would be unsafe, then I"m inclined to think that dorms may need to be set aside from campus carry.