Police: Know NIC's gun rules
COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College is getting the word out: The Idaho “permitless carry” law doesn’t apply on its campus.
Senate Bill 1389 became law on July 1, allowing Idaho residents age 21 and older to carry a concealed firearm without a permit within city limits. However, the new law doesn’t affect current laws and policies at NIC. According to an Idaho law passed in 2014, only people with enhanced concealed-carry permits can bring concealed weapons on campus.
This applies to everyone, including teachers, students, staff members and any community member who walks onto campus for any reason.
“Since the [permitless carry] law has been passed I haven’t had any issue with it, just a lot of questions and confusion regarding the rules,” said Detective Gus Wessel of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. “Our goal is to get that information out before it becomes a problem and especially with people coming onto campus for Art on the Green or other events. We want to front-end that so we don’t end up with any issues.”
Wessel said any past issues with people carrying weapons without the required permit ended in cooperation. Usually the weapon holder didn’t know about the campus rules and stored their weapon off campus, he said.
The only places on NIC's main campus where concealed firearms are not permitted, even with an enhanced permit, are the NIC Residence Hall, Boswell Hall, Christianson Gymnasium, and the Children's Center.
NIC advises anyone who sees someone carrying a weapon on campus to call 911. Law enforcement can determine if the person holds an enhanced concealed carry permit.
“There are occasions when a weapon may inadvertently be seen; a jacket lifts up or something,” said Mark Browning, NIC’s vice president of communications. “Do not approach that person. Report it to a faculty or staff member who will then contact security. Security will then engage with the person and ask them if they have an enhanced concealed carry permit.”
NIC would also like to remind everyone that making threats with a concealed weapon will not be tolerated, but carrying a legal, concealed weapon on campus is not in itself a threatening act.
While instructors may ask a student to report to them whether they have a concealed carry permit or not, permit holders are not required to give that information to a faculty or staff member. That’s why NIC urges teachers and staff to not force or coerce a student into providing the information.
An emergency preparedness video can be viewed on NIC’s website at www.nic.edu/security.
For more information, contact Alex Harris, director of student development, at 769-5970 or alex.harris@nic.edu; or NIC SRO Gus Wessel at abwessel@nic.edu.