LA community college officials ban guns on campuses

Firearms are now banned on all nine of the campuses under the Los Angeles Community College District.

The LACCD Board of Trustees unanimously passed a resolution Aug. 7  to eliminate the possession and display of weapons of any kind, exempting law enforcement officials, theatrical performance props and people “that may have been issued a license or permit that allows the possession of a firearm on campus,” according to documents presented at a trustee meeting.

The ban, which includes non-operational guns that were used for a gun safety course taught at Pierce College, was put in place following a recent fatal shooting rampage that took place near Santa Monica College last June, as well as a request sent from a local neighborhood council to move the gun safety course off campus.

The LACCD’s previous administrative regulation on firearms was suspended by the Criminal Justice Discipline Committee in the fall of 2012 because training and firearms education took place at off-site locations, according to the documents.

Pierce’s National Rifle Association (NRA) Basic Pistol Course, which was also offered at Los Angeles Harbor College, was provided through the not-for-credit community education program, and covers the basics of handling firearms, including ammunition, fundamentals of pistol marksmanship and how to clean and store handguns, as reported by the Roundup earlier in the year.

Only the lecture segment of the class was conducted on campus, while a live-fire section was done at a nearby firing range. The class was a popular choice for students, according to the instructor.

Links:

Neighborhood council opposes on-campus gun safety class

http://laccd.edu/Board/Documents/2013-2014BoardAgendas/20130807-Board-Agenda.pdf