Adopted at the 119th Annual Conference

San Diego, CA
October 3, 2012

Prohibition of Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) on College and University Campuses
Submitted by: University/College Police Section
UPS.002.a12

WHEREAS, the 2012 study, "The Argument Against Arming College Students," states that in 2009, there were 17 homicides on US college campuses, representing .0001 percent of the entire student population and the percentage of homicides for the general population for that year was .005, meaning citizens were 50 times more likely to be murdered off a college campus than on one; and

WHEREAS, current credible data from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics reveals that college students, while on campus, are safer than the general population in the surrounding community, and when they are victims of violent crime, firearms play a statistically insignificant role; and

WHEREAS, there is no credible evidence to suggest that armed students, faculty, staff and community users would make our campuses safer; and

WHEREAS, armed students, staff, faculty and community users would further complicate the jobs of college and university safety and security professionals; and

WHEREAS, armed students, staff, faculty and community users would create an environment inconsistent with education; and

WHEREAS, college students too often engage in extreme risk taking behavior such as binge drinking; and

WHEREAS, college students have significantly higher rates of suicide than the general population; and

WHEREAS, allowing concealed carry firearms upon our campuses would have no positive effect on campus safety and would, inversely, decrease the safety and security of our campuses, students, staff and community users; and

WHEREAS, there are a number of studies that compare the evidence both for and against concealed carry laws that conclude that they do not save lives; and

WHEREAS, research conducted at several colleges and universities reveals that students did not support allowing the concealed carry of firearms (CCW) on their campus, particularly by their fellow students; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the International Association of Chiefs of Police duly assembled at its 119th Annual Conference in San Diego, California promotes the prohibition of concealed carry weapons upon this nation's college and university campuses.