Campus officials said Monday concealed carry will be allowed on campus with some restrictions.
UW-Whitewater Chief of Police Matthew Kiederlen said some of the issue is still “up in the air” but he believes when the law goes into effect Nov. 1, the university will be banning concealed weapons in campus buildings.
“Assuming the campus moves in that direction, we will be posting signage letting everyone know,” he said. ““If we’re going to restrict carry on campus, the law requires us to post signage on what would be the normal entrances of the buildings which we will do. We will post them on the residence halls and it will be included in the residence halls contract eventually.”
Whitewater Student Government President Patrick Johnson said the UW System is coming up with universal signage for universities.
Johnson said the plan as of now is concealed carry will be banned in all campus buildings.
“From my understanding, concealed carry permits will be allowed anywhere on campus except for an academic building,” he said.
“They can walk around the campus mall, they can keep it in their car.”
Kiederlen said UW-Whitewater police have a weapons storage facility available to students with weapons.
“We already store weapons for students that are here that utilize them for hunting and things like that,” he said.
“We will obviously continue to provide that for anyone who would not want to leave a weapon in the vehicle or something like that. They could bring it to the police department and have it stored.”
Kiederlen said students are welcome to use the service but must call ahead to let police know they are bringing a weapon. Also, the weapon must be cased and unloaded
Johnson said though students across the state of Wisconsin have voiced concerns, concealed carry is nothing fear.
“I don’t think students should be too scared, it’s a difficult thing to get…a lot of training, a lot of tests, and you have to be willing to work your butt off to grab it,” he said. “The reality of it is it’s hard to get and the people getting them are trained and know the consequences of their actions when they bring it in.”
Kiederlen said he doesn’t see it becoming a “wild west” or really having an effect on the campus though students do need to understand police officers will be a little more on the lookout than before.
“What that means is if an officer stops you on a vehicle or traffic stop and asks you if you have weapons in the car, that’s going to be a new norm,” he said.
“It’s not an indictment of you, it’s not we think you look funny or there’s a character issue, it’s just a reality that people have the right to carry weapons and we want to know what we have in front of us. It’s just as valid as asking for your driver’s license and proof of insurance, we’re checking to make sure you’re in compliance and for our safety.”
Kiederlen said he’s not concerned with the people who will abide by the law but details regarding the law are still a little hazy.
“There are aspects that can be confusing,” he said. “We just don’t know all of the details yet and I’m not 100 percent sure those details are going to be worked out before the law comes into effect. It’s just a reality of the circumstance and we’ll just continue to do the best we can.”
To maintain safety and peace on campus, Kiederlen said both police and citizens legally carrying have to have a mutual understanding of the situation.
“Individuals that carry a concealed weapon have to realize when an officer asks you about that weapon, you have to be up front and honest and let them know that yea, I am carrying a weapon, so that we know where you are,” he said. “If an officer asks you if you have a weapon and you say no and they see one on your hip, suddenly you’re a new type of person than you were a second ago.”
Kiederlen said though the idea of carrying a concealed weapon sounds good in a “romance version,” the reality is few people will carry, if at all.
“I’ve been carrying a weapon most of my adult life because of what my career path is, there’s times it’s more of a pain than a help or tool,” he said. “When suddenly you’re carrying that thing on your hip and trying to figure out what you can wear and can’t wear and how you can carry it and keep it concealed, everything else, it’s not as fun as people think.”
Johnson said it’s important students continue to feel safe at UW-Whitewater but also be proactive in preventing issues.
“Students should understand it’s going to be a safe campus, it won’t turn into anything big,” he said. “Everyone needs to feel safe and lead a similar life they have before. If they see anything sketchy, obviously they need to report it.”
