The ability to carry concealed firearms on campus would allow students to take justice into their own hands, for better or for worse. Illustration by Corey BrightTessa Case - News Editornews@insideuab.com
In response to recent muggings on campus, a new student-led group is advocating for the right to carry concealed firearms on campus.
UAB Students for Concealed Carry, led by sophomore Jonathan Lackey, is advocating for the “safe, legal responsible, licensed carry of firearms on the campus of the University of Alabama at Birmingham” according to their Facebook page.
UAB’s current firearms policy, which is available online, prohibits any form of dangerous weapons or firearms, and extends to all property owned by the University, including any parking decks, lots, affiliated foundations or healthcare entities. The exceptions to the rule include law enforcement, private security with expressed permission from the UAB Police Department and members, coaches and authorized staff of recognized teams or course who are acting within the scope of activities pre-approved by the UABPD. Students are also permitted to carry pepper spray and blades no longer than three-and-a-half inches long. UABPD declined to comment any further on the official campus policies.
Students for Concealed Carry has a nationwide presence, and Lackey said that when he heard of the group, he decided to bring a chapter to UAB. After an interview with the state director, Kenneth Majors, Lackey was given the lead to fight for concealed carry at UAB.
“I don’t want anyone to fall victim to anything as heinous as rape or murder, or school shootings,” Lackey said in response to why he feels so strongly about students being able to carry.
Lackey specifically cited several of the recent B-alerts regarding armed muggings, as well as the incident that occurred in 2014 in which four students were robbed and sexually assaulted on the 16th Street parking deck on campus.
Some students, however, don’t feel as though arming other students or faculty is the answer to on campus crime.
“I personally don’t think that having weapons would be the answer to people getting mugged,” said junior Miles Essix, a communications and economics major. “The police’s job is to protect and serve, and we don’t have to take it into our own hands. Trust that law enforcement is going to handle it, and trust that the people around you aren’t going to harm you.”
Lackey, though, said that crime is inevitable, and that everyone, including students, should be able to have the means to protect themselves against incidents like this.
“The UAB police are wonderful, but they are not there all the time,” Lackey said. “Obviously they are not there when people are being raped in the parking lots, or being mugged outside of the library. They’re humans.”
The police reports available at the UABPD’s office offer insight into the frequency of crime at UAB. According to the monthly reports for 2015 and 2016, which includes all crime cases claimed by the UABPD and not those undertaken by the Birmingham Police Department, there have been no incidents of robbery—defined as including a victim and the use of force or threat in the act of stealing—on-campus, off-campus property or in student housing, although one robbery did occur on public property nearby. In addition, there has been only one incident of burglary—which is defined as only including unlawful entry to a structure—on-campus but none off-campus or in student housing.
Essix said while incidents of crime don’t occur every day on campus, students being allowed to carry would be a daily thing.
“I don’t want to walk into a classroom and feel like someone has the ability to pull a gun on me,” he said.
He expressed concerns of increased fear, paranoia and threats amongst students.
Lackey argued that individuals planning on committing crimes are not being mindful of the law anyway. He also added that a study done on 150 campuses that allow concealed carry showed there was no increase in firearms related violence. The data and sources for this statement can be found on the official website for Students for Concealed Carry.
Essix said other available options they would rather see than students being armed.
“Students need to have increased mindfulness of their state of being, or where they are,” Essix said.
Kaustubhi Udipi, a senior, also expressed the desire for alternatives to concealed carry.
“In general, I’m not completely against it, but on campus I am,” he said. “One of my fraternity brothers carries, but he’s also 25 so I feel more comfortable that he won’t make a rash decision as opposed to a 19-year old carrying. Boosting security on campus and being aware of your surroundings help considerably more than letting 18 to 22 year-olds, who are likely to get drunk, carry guns.”
However, Lackey feels that a college campus is no different than a restaurant, mall, movie theater or other public spaces where licensed young individuals already carry.
For those concerned about crime at UAB, campus resources are available to offer safety. The Blazer Express Safety escort is an escort system available daily from 9 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. that UAB highly encourages students to use. Additionally, if the service is not available, an individual can call UABPD or use a help phone in order to be escorted for personal safety.
