College Campus

[xdfanatic]

Trying to understand who is right and who is wrong. I go to school at Lone Star College in the Houston area and while I know carrying on campus is illegal, I am curious if I am legal leaving my weapon in my truck. I have checked and tried to find a 30.06 sign in the parking lot and there is none. Now the issue is that my friend from school a professor and I were talking and he says that the campus police told him when he asked that it was illegal to even have the weapon in the vehicle. We both have CHL's and carry legally, however he works for the school and I am sure he signed some sort of policy letter prohibiting him from carrying at all on campus (or in the lot) which I understand however I have not. I am not particularly worried because I have left my weapon in my truck since I have been going to school there and nothing has happened so far. At the same time I don't want to screw up my career and or loose my CHL. Are there any laws that I am missing here that prohibit the weapon in the car? Thanks in advance for your help on this.

I also just would like to say hello to all the members of this forum, it's great. I have been lurking for a while and decided to join up and be a part of the CHL community.
Jimmy

[Pawpaw]

You are legal in the parking lot unless it is properly posted.

If you're going to leave a weapon in your truck frequently, I recommend you get yourself a console vault to secure it. http://www.consolevault.com/

[dicion]

... and while I know carrying on campus is illegal,

This is also incorrect. You cannot carry on the Premises of the school. Premises is defined as 'building or part of a building' and specifically excludes parking lots, parking garages, sidewalks, bare grounds, etc.
You can carry 'on campus' all you want, you just can't carry on the Premises of the school.

§ 46.03. PLACES WEAPONS PROHIBITED. (a) A person commits
an offense if the person intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly
possesses or goes with a firearm, illegal knife, club, or
prohibited weapon listed in Section 46.05(a):
(1) on the physical premises of a school or
educational institution, any grounds or building on which an
activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being
conducted, or a passenger transportation vehicle of a school or
educational institution, whether the school or educational
institution is public or private, unless pursuant to written
regulations or written authorization of the institution;

...
(3) "Premises" means a building or a portion of a
building. The term does not include any public or private driveway,
street, sidewalk or walkway, parking lot, parking garage, or other
parking area.

Now note, the "grounds of building on which an activity sponsored by a school or educational institution is being conducted" DOES cover bare ground (as long as it's owned by the school, It does not apply to school functions outside of school property, so says Charles Cotton.) So if there's a class going on out on the quad... (what is a quad anyways?) then that area is off limits as well.

[xdfanatic]

Thanks guys that's what I had originally thought, I have looked into the vaults for the truck and I think that it would be a good investment in the near future. Why would the campus police say that it is illegal though? Maybe a lack of understanding of the laws? Not to knock any LEO because I have a great respect for their job but you would think that with the way things have been going at schools it would be wise to allow CHL on college campuses and would be wise to know the laws about CHL.

[Purplehood]

Thanks guys that's what I had originally thought, I have looked into the vaults for the truck and I think that it would be a good investment in the near future. Why would the campus police say that it is illegal though? Maybe a lack of understanding of the laws? Not to knock any LEO because I have a great respect for their job but you would think that with the way things have been going at schools it would be wise to allow CHL on college campuses and would be wise to know the laws about CHL.

As the campus police may be misinformed it would probably be best to just buy the car-gun-vault and use it. Don't talk about it with anyone and remember not to take your weapon to class.

[3dfxMM]

You are legal in the parking lot unless it is properly posted.

If you're going to leave a weapon in your truck frequently, I recommend you get yourself a console vault to secure it. http://www.consolevault.com/

LoneStar College is not a private school. He is legal in the parking lot even if they do post.

[karl]

With my experience Campus Police (and lots of police in general) have this "feels right" interpretation of the law. Lots of officers know the law well but when it gets to situations where they're uncertain they migrate to "feels right" territory. What do I mean by this? These officers will have extensive knowledge on everyday laws and minor knowledge of regulations that they don't encounter most days. When they get to this uncomfortable zone they sort of make up things because it sounds right, hence the "feels right" area.

I was instructed by a very knowledgable DPS officer at UH that, while leaving it in the car is perfectly legal, it violates school policy. She went on to say that, in her opinion, there's very little chance the University would care if it came up but told me to take that into consideration.

[Pawpaw]

You are legal in the parking lot unless it is properly posted.

If you're going to leave a weapon in your truck frequently, I recommend you get yourself a console vault to secure it. http://www.consolevault.com/

LoneStar College is not a private school. He is legal in the parking lot even if they do post.

Ah, well I didn't know that. It's a moot point anyway, since he said it isn't posted.

Thanks for the clarification.

[terryg]

(what is a quad anyways?)

quadrangle: A rectangular area surrounded on all four sides by buildings

It is a common term in academic settings. Many university campuses have rectangular grassy areas defined by the surrounding buildings that are referred to as 'quads'.