Blinn College District Police Department Campus Carry Report
Submitted By
John R. Chancellor, Police Chief
July 27, 2022
During the 84th Texas Legislature, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 11 (also known as “Campus Carry”), which allows concealed handgun license holders to carry concealed handguns on the campus of Texas higher education institutions. For community colleges, such as Blinn College, the effective date is August 1, 2017. To plan a safe and effective implementation process, Blinn College formed the Campus Carry Task Force in August 2016, giving the Task Force one year to conduct research and develop implementation strategies, including a communications plan to inform all students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors about the new rules regarding campus carry.
The Task Force benefitted from watching and reviewing policies and procedures that Texas universities put into action as the law became effective a full year before becoming effective for community colleges, and worked particularly closely with Texas A&M University to learn about its implementation plan and roll out, and to ensure that whenever possible, Blinn’s Task Force recommendations matched the policies established at Texas A&M University to prevent confusion for the significant number of students who co-enroll at both institutions.
The Task Force met regularly and worked diligently to develop policy for the Chancellor and Board of Trustees approval. The Task Force designed its recommendations to allow campus carry unless specific extenuating circumstances required exceptions. The Task Force closely followed the new state law, and ultimately identified select Blinn College campus locations where concealed handguns would be prohibited at all times:
- The second floor of the Health Science Center Campus presents unusual circumstances due to the presence of hands-on labs, which require physical contact, as well as MRI and x-ray machines, which pose a high safety risk with the presence of firearms. Therefore, a ban for this area is appropriate. There were no other laboratories or hazardous areas identified by the committee that pose a similar risk when legal firearms are carried and stored properly.
- UIL-Sponsored and Sporting Events: Penal Code subsection 46.035(b)(2) prohibits concealed carry at any collegiate sporting event or UIL-sponsored event. Appropriate signage to that effect must be in place in accordance with Penal Code Sec. 30.06.
- Any grievance process, appeal proceeding involving a disinterested third-party committee gathering testimony from the involved parties, or the formal hearing portion of the total process, as detailed in Board policy and administrative regulations. A full list of Blinn College proceedings and procedures that carry one or multiple steps of this nature can be found in the Blinn College Board Policy Manual and the Blinn College Administrative Procedure Manual. In those specific hearings, it is difficult to determine how a variety of factors, whether emotional or otherwise, might affect the better judgement of participants.
Prior to and following the effective date, the Task Force sponsored forums on the Brenham and Bryan campuses where students, faculty, staff, and members of the community were invited to
participate and ask questions concerning the law. In addition, members of the Task Force held training sessions regarding the implementation of the law on all Blinn College campuses.
To date, the Blinn College Police Department has not received any notices or complaints of campus carry violations, and no citations or warnings have been issued. I accredit this to the extensive work the Task Force did, the educational forums that were held, and the training sessions that were offered at each campus. Blinn College District Board Policy CHF(LOCAL) addresses the specific rules for campus carry on college district premises. Please find the rules, regulations, or other provisions and the reasons for those provisions for campus carry at Blinn College District at blinn.edu/campus-carry/index.html.
In conclusion, the hard work of the Task Force has allowed Blinn College to adapt its board policies and regulations to the requirements of Senate Bill 11 while maintaining a safe and secure environment for students, faculty, staff, and campus visitors. In accordance with Senate Bill 11, passed in the 84th Legislature, Blinn College District is in full compliance.