College considers weapon storage
Administrators discuss safes, gun policy; access to firearms a concern
Andy Buss
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News
Though plans to relocate campus security are all but dead, talk continues surrounding a possible weapons storage facility and new weapons policy, administrators said this week.
Vice President of Administration Rich Pewe and Director of Security Mike Wertz said the college will finalize its gun storage policy by next semester.
"In order to make a policy to allow guns, we must have a place to store them," Wertz said.
Several firearm confiscations in the past year spurred a discussion of creating a policy that allows students to store firearms safely. The college's current policy is derived from a state law which allows on-campus students to store guns only in their vehicles.
Wertz said this policy presents several problems, including keeping guns safe and dry.
"The last place I'd want to keep my gun is my car," he said.
Though administrators acknowledge the need for a gun storage facility, they are debating the amount of access students should have to it.
Pewe said he is reluctant to allow 24-hour access to weapons, and that there should be restrictions on the times that students may retrieve firearms to use security resources as effectively as possible.
"It should be limited to a reasonable time frame instead of always available," he said.
Wertz said the idea of moving security headquarters to a house at 25 Galloway Street to create an armory was "kicked around," but it's not likely security will move.
The armory would have allowed students to store their guns under surveillance in lockers at the house.
But Pewe said another "less glamorous" solution is to add one or two safes in the Fowler Maintenance Building to hold weapons.
Since security and the maintenance department often collaborate, this would retain the convenience of having both areas in close proximity, he said.
"They look out for each other," said Pewe. "From the practical, efficiency standpoint, I like having Mike [Wertz] in that building. At this point, I'm just not ready to move them away from one another. It may be solving one problem but creating more issues."
Senior Sam Russell lives on campus but stores his gun at a friend's off-campus house due to the college's lack of storage area and the "unsafe and uncontrolled" climate of a vehicle.
He is in favor of a storage area as long as he could get to his weapon when necessary.
"Convenience is the key," Russell said. "I think that it's a great idea as long as we have 24-hour access to our lockers."
Russell said he would have a moral problem with the school preventing students from access to their guns.
Pewe said he is aware of that concern among students but said he does not intend to contradict the Second Amendment.
"I'm a big Second Amendment person," he said. "With the Constitution, it makes sense to work out something that will work with them."
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
Vice President of Administration Rich Pewe and Director of Security Mike Wertz said the college will finalize its gun storage policy by next semester.
"In order to make a policy to allow guns, we must have a place to store them," Wertz said.
Several firearm confiscations in the past year spurred a discussion of creating a policy that allows students to store firearms safely. The college's current policy is derived from a state law which allows on-campus students to store guns only in their vehicles.
Wertz said this policy presents several problems, including keeping guns safe and dry.
"The last place I'd want to keep my gun is my car," he said.
Though administrators acknowledge the need for a gun storage facility, they are debating the amount of access students should have to it.
Pewe said he is reluctant to allow 24-hour access to weapons, and that there should be restrictions on the times that students may retrieve firearms to use security resources as effectively as possible.
"It should be limited to a reasonable time frame instead of always available," he said.
Wertz said the idea of moving security headquarters to a house at 25 Galloway Street to create an armory was "kicked around," but it's not likely security will move.
The armory would have allowed students to store their guns under surveillance in lockers at the house.
But Pewe said another "less glamorous" solution is to add one or two safes in the Fowler Maintenance Building to hold weapons.
Since security and the maintenance department often collaborate, this would retain the convenience of having both areas in close proximity, he said.
"They look out for each other," said Pewe. "From the practical, efficiency standpoint, I like having Mike [Wertz] in that building. At this point, I'm just not ready to move them away from one another. It may be solving one problem but creating more issues."
Senior Sam Russell lives on campus but stores his gun at a friend's off-campus house due to the college's lack of storage area and the "unsafe and uncontrolled" climate of a vehicle.
He is in favor of a storage area as long as he could get to his weapon when necessary.
"Convenience is the key," Russell said. "I think that it's a great idea as long as we have 24-hour access to our lockers."
Russell said he would have a moral problem with the school preventing students from access to their guns.
Pewe said he is aware of that concern among students but said he does not intend to contradict the Second Amendment.
"I'm a big Second Amendment person," he said. "With the Constitution, it makes sense to work out something that will work with them."
Hillsdale College Collegian, 2007
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Hugh
posted 11/09/07 @ 10:10 AM EST
I can understand why keeping access open to the firearm lockers at 3 a.m. is not a top priority for the college. But with security on duty 24 hours per day, and presumably with offices headquartered in the same building as this firearm locker, what good reason is there not to have round the clock access, outside of typical Hillsdalian paternalism?
EXak
posted 11/09/07 @ 8:32 PM EST
I am an alum and use to live off campus. One night there was banging at the back door - pretty clear someone was trying to come inside. I called the police. (Continued…)
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