No Weapons Policy

Effective: 8/18/09; Updated: 12/12/24
Contact: Human Resources

William Jewell College prohibits all persons who enter College property from carrying a handgun, firearm, or prohibited weapon of any kind onto the property. Only credentialed active or retired law enforcement may carry a firearm, stun gun and/or pepper spray. They must have their retirement credentials or their active law enforcement credentials on their person if carrying a firearm on the College property.

“College property” covered by this policy includes, without limitation, all College-owned or leased buildings and surrounding areas such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways and parking lots under the College’s ownership or control. Faculty staff, contractors, vendors and temporary employees, customers, and persona non-grata could have firearms in their vehicles but are not to remove the firearm from their vehicle at any time while on the College property. College-owned vehicles are always covered by this policy regardless of whether they are on the College property at the time.

Prohibited weapons include any form of weapon or explosive, and include, but are not limited to all firearms, (antique, curio or relic firearm), blackjack weapons, explosive weapons, gas guns, knives with a blade longer than four inches (dagger, dirk or stiletto or bladed instrument), machine guns, projectile weapons, rifles, shotguns, spring guns, switchblades and knuckles. Chemical dispensing devices such as pepper sprays that are sold commercially for personal protection are not covered by this policy.

Staff/Faculty/Persons Non-Grata/Contract/Temp Employees
This policy applies to all College, faculty, staff, contract, temporary employees, customers, contractors and non-grata on the College property, regardless of whether they are licensed to carry a weapon.

All College staff/faculty, vendors, contract and temporary employees and contractors are also prohibited from carrying a weapon while in the course and scope of performing their work for the College, whether they are on the College property at the time or not and whether they are licensed to carry a handgun or not. Staff members may not carry a weapon covered by this policy while performing any task on the College’s behalf. The only exceptions to this policy will be persons who have been given written consent by the College to carry a weapon while performing specific tasks on the College’s behalf. This policy also prohibits weapons at any College sponsored function such as parties, picnics, games, etc.

Students
This policy applies to all students regardless of whether they are licensed to carry a firearm. All students are prohibited from carrying a handgun, firearm, or prohibited weapon as defined by this policy of any kind onto the property or in their vehicles if the vehicle is on the College property.

If firearms are required for employment, instructional or other legitimate purposes please contact the Campus Safety Director at 816-885-0935 or Santiago-Dotsond@william.jewell.edu.

If you have a question about whether an item is covered by this policy, please call the Office of Human Resources. You will be held responsible for making sure beforehand that any potentially covered item you possess is not prohibited by this policy. Violation of this policy may subject a staff member to immediate discharge. A student may be subject to a student conduct violation and or dismissal.

Weapons Confiscation
In accordance with the College’s institutional No Weapons Policy, the Campus Safety Director and/- or firearm certified (conceal and carry certified) designee can confiscate any firearms and or weapons from any individual on the College’s property. In the event a firearm or weapon is too unsafe for the Campus Safety Director or designee to handle or possess, the premises around the firearm or weapon should be secured and appropriate law enforcement authorities should be called as soon as possible.

The Campus Safety Officer must be contacted (816-365-0709) to serve as a witness to the confiscation procedure and an incident report and Custody Tracking Form must be completed and updated.

If the weapon is a firearm, the following steps must be taken:

Firearm ammunition must be removed from the chamber
The magazine must be removed from the firearm (administrative unload).
Once the firearm is made safe, the ammunition must be separated from the magazine and placed in a plastic bag.
The plastic bag containing the ammunition, the firearm, and magazine must be placed in the designated gun safe located in 124 Curry Hall.
The safe must be secured

Any time a firearm or weapon is confiscated, Frenchette Anderson, COO (816-415-7646), and Darlene Santiago-Dotson (816-885-0935) must be notified immediately.

Disposition of Confiscated Weapons
If the College confiscates any firearm or weapon from any individual in accordance with its No Weapons Policy and has reasonable suspicion that possession of such firearm or weapon itself is a crime, was used in the course of criminal activity or is otherwise a threat to the community, the Campus Safety Director or designee shall contact the appropriate law enforcement authorities and offer the firearm or weapon to them and/or otherwise follow their guidance.

If the firearm or weapon is not confiscated based on criminal or threatening activity, and there is no reason to believe it is associated with any criminal or threatening activity, the Campus Safety Director or designee shall work with the owner of the weapon or firearm to return the weapon or firearm off of College property to be brought to the owner’s off-campus residence or another off-campus place of safekeeping. In no event will the College return a firearm or weapon to any owner whom they suspect will return the firearm or weapon to the College property.

The College reserves the right to dispose of firearms or weapons confiscated under this policy if the firearm or weapon is unclaimed for a period of two or more years. Disposal of firearms or weapons requires authorization by Frenchette Anderson and the Campus Safety Officer. Firearms or weapons that are destroyed in accordance with this policy require evidence custodian and separate authorized witnesses to be present at the time of destruction.

The Custody Tracking Form associated with any firearm or weapon confiscated under this policy must be updated upon disposition.