After One Year Of Campus Carry, Gun Crime Rates Aren’t Much Different

Community college students with concealed-carry permits can now carry firearms on campus.

By Michael MarksAugust 1, 2017 7:34 am,

The controversial “campus carry” law took effect one year ago, on August 1, 2016. The state law allows student with a concealed handgun license, and who are 21 years of age, to carry a firearm in certain places on public university campuses.

Opponents of the law were concerned about the potential risks; quick-tempered students with access to firearms, self-censorship in classroom discussions and potential catastrophes involving a “good guy with a gun.” Advocates said the allowing students to carry guns would provide protection for themselves in case of campus violence.

Professor Aaron Bartula, coordinator for the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of North Texas at Dallas says there has been no significant increase in firearms crime on campuses since “campus carry” became law.

“We’ve seen a lot of increased fear of victimization of crime.” Bartula says “However, if actually look at the numbers, we don’t really see much of a change at all.”

As of Tuesday, the “campus carry” law extends to community colleges across the state. Bartula says the fact that community colleges are typically commuter schools raises a different set of issues when it comes to carrying firearms on campus.

“[Community colleges] tend to be high-volume,” Bartula says. “Because [they are] commuter [schools], people come and go all the time. So it’s really hard for security on community college campuses to really identify who’s there at what time, what the flows are going to be. Whereas at four-year institutions, it’s a little more stable, with the amount of people on campus.”

Bartula says some of the fears professors expressed before the passage of “campus carry” continue. He says he believes some faculty members have changed the kinds of discussions held in class, based on fear, but that, overall, little has changed.

“I really haven’t seen that much change at our institution,” he says.

 

Written by Shelly Brisbin.