Weapons on Campus

Date: March 2022

Supersedes: December 2019, September 2016

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Purpose

Montgomery County Community College is a Community College organized and operating under the Public School Code of 1949, as amended, of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with all requisite power and authority to own/lease its properties and conduct its business. The College is an agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The President and the Board of Trustees of the College are responsible to provide a safe and secure educational environment. Accordingly, the College adopts the following policy addressing the possession of deadly or offensive weapons.

Application

This policy applies to all persons who are enrolled, employed, visiting, providing services or renting facilities at Montgomery County Community College. This policy applies equally to those persons that have a government issued license to carry a concealed firearm.

Policy

The possession or carrying of any deadly or offensive weapon by any person is prohibited in College academic buildings, administrative buildings, dining facilities, off-site locations or while attending any sporting, entertainment or educational event on College property or sponsored by the College.

A deadly or offensive weapon is defined as any device designed to produce death or serious bodily injury. Offensive weapons may be any devices so defined under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code Section 908 (c), i.e., those which serve no common lawful purpose. For the purposes of this policy, deadly and offensive weapons may include, but are not limited to:

• Firearms, loaded or unloaded
• Pellet, flare, tranquilizer, stun, spear, or dart guns
• Knives with blades larger than a small folding knife
• Any cutting instrument where the blade is exposed in an automatic way
• Daggers or swords
• Striking instruments, including clubs, truncheons, and blackjacks
• Martial arts weapons
• Bow and arrow combinations
• Explosive devices

Pennsylvania Law in Title 18, Chapter 61 governs the transportation and carrying of firearms in vehicles. Persons carrying firearms within the scope of Pennsylvania Statutes do so at their own risk and are responsible for the safe and secure storage of all firearms.

The definition of offensive weapon under this policy does not include personal size non-lethal chemical irritants for personal security, small pocket knives or general tools not designed as weapons and used for their lawful and intended purposes.

Authorized Exceptions

• Sworn municipal, county, state, or federal law enforcement officers who carry proper identification
• Members of the United States Armed Forces when in uniform and conducting official business in conjunction with their armed forces service.
• Security details assigned to armored vehicle couriers
• Any individual who is specifically authorized in writing by both the College President and the Director of Campus Safety to carry a weapon.
• Those persons conducting and participating in an approved program of instruction in the college's curriculum which requires access to such equipment as an integral part of the instructional program.

Violations of Policy

Violation of this policy is expressly forbidden and may result in disciplinary action up to expulsion for students, termination for employees and other penalties for visitors or contractors in violation, and may prompt a response by law enforcement. Policy violations – relative to students, employees, visitors and contractors – will be referred to the appropriate area of the College for follow-up in accordance with related policy and/or processes for that area.

Notification of Use of Replica or Prop Weapons

Any item which looks like a weapon and is used for a legitimate purpose on College property must be reported to and approved in writing by the Director of Campus Safety prior to use in any activity. It shall be the responsibility of the faculty member or other employee coordinating such activities to secure written approval from the Director of Campus Safety before conducting the activity. Persons responsible for the activity must recognize risks associated with using weapons or weapon-like props and must exercise prudent safety measures to ensure they are properly used and stored.