500 staffers carrying guns on TN college campuses

More than 500 college and university employees across the state are exercising their right to carry guns on public campuses since a new law allowing them to do so went into effect last July.

Allowing employees to carry guns on campus has resulted in few, if any, problems on campuses, yet the possibility of expanding the law to part-time employees has raised concerns among college and university officials. That proposal, however, likely will not be moving forward in the legislature this year.

"It personally concerns me for several reasons," said University of Tennessee Police Chief Troy Lane, who is also on the board of directors for the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, which opposed this year's bills to expand the law.

"We already have 160 full-time employees who have notified us of their intent to carry. I am unaware of how or why adding part-time personnel would make our campus safer. Next, there are far fewer 'knowns' with part-time employees. While we get to know our fellow full-time employees, the same may not be said for our part-time employees."

Since the original law went into effect in July, 160 people have notified university police that they plan to carry guns at the Knoxville campus, Lane said in an email this week. At the University of Tennessee-Martin, 23 people have given notice to that campus, said Scott Robbins, UT-Martin director of public safety.

Requests for comment at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga were not returned Wednesday.

As of September, another 416 people had made requests across the Tennessee Board of Regents system, which includes more than 40 public universities, community colleges and technical schools across the state.

Robbins said in an email that the current system at UT-Martin is "working fine" and that to date the university has not received any complaints about any employees being careless or having firearms in open view. He also said that if the law were to expand, the university could likely continue to operate under the same policies, and he expected the number of part-time employees who would request to carry to be low.

The board of regents, similarly, is not aware of any problems that have arisen under the new law, according to interim Director of Communications Richard Locker. UT officials have in the past voiced opposition to campus carry.

At its regular quarterly meeting in December, the board approved a general policy statement opposing expansion of guns on campuses, except for law enforcement officers.

UT-Knoxville has also put in place optional training sessions for employees who decide to carry guns on campus, and Lane said about 15 people have gone to them.