Midwestern State encouraged by early results of campus carry policy

WICHITA FALLS, TX (KAUZ) - Last spring Senate Bill 11 was passed, requiring public universities in Texas to implement campus carry policies by August 1st.
Midwestern State students said the transition has gone well.
    "The biggest difference I have noticed is that we've got all these signs on the doors of the labs saying to not bring a gun in there in accordance with the law," Gabriel Jacobs, an MSU student, said.
    "I haven't really seen anything out of the ordinary that I haven't seen over the past two years," Courtney Waldron, an MSU student, said.
Not much has changed on campus since Midwestern State's campus carry policy was implemented.
Patrick Coggins, MSU Chief of Police, believes that is because of a strong policy drafted by the university.
    "I think once the implementation date passed and we showed that we had a good strong policy in affect with controls in place, people settled in and are going about the business of living, learning and recreating here at the university," Chief Coggins said.
A task force was created over the summer to come up with a policy.
Since then a campus carry committee has been created for future instances.
    "We simply meet on a routine basis, as needed as well," Chief Coggins said. "But we haven't needed to meet to address any problems with the implementation."
Students are impressed with the universities implementation.
    "I think they are doing a wonderful job," an anonymous MSU student said. "I think they need to keep doing what they're doing and stay encouraged."
    "They do a really good job of notifying what can and can't be done around campus," Waldron said. "And they did a really good job of letting us know everything about the law."
Waldron is optimistic that the campus is safe.
    "It is not anything that students are really too concerned about here at the school," Waldron said. "It is a pretty safe campus and I think it always will be."
Chief Coggins said they are continuing to educate people on everything that is currently in place, as well as ensuring people understand campus carry is conceal carry and no one is allowed to open carry on any public state universities in Texas.

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