Guns: In Storrs Now
There aren't many guns at the University of Connecticut.
Students and faculty are not allowed to carry or keep concealed weapons on campus, whether or not they have permits.
The UConn Pistol and Rifle Club [video] keep their personal firearms stored at a nearby gun range located in Rockville, a 20-minute drive from UConn’s campus in Storrs.
The campus' Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) [video] and Department of Military Science don't store any weapons on campus either, since they don’t have the facilities to safely maintain any kind of armament. In fact, according to Lieutenant Commander Tony Esposito, "Army ROTC personnel have no reason to carry weapons," and while students "are trained in the use of a rifle," this is done at an "authorized military installation" in Massachusetts once per semester.
The police [video] are the only ones allowed to carry or store lethal weapons on campus, according to Capt. Craig Rich of the UConn Police Department. Campus officers carry .40 SIG Sauer pistols (SIG Sauer: To Hell and Back Reliability), the standard issue pistol for all officers. Police Headquarters owns one handgun per officer, "plus spares," according to Rich. UConn, Storrs Campus, has an "authorized force strength of 51 [officers], but [is] currently a bit short," says Rich.
So, ruling out illegal firearms, there should be no more than 51 handguns on the Storrs campus (plus spares) at any time.
Other than standard issue pistols, the UCPD also houses weapons for "tactical situations," according to Rich. Rich defines a tactical situation as a loose gunman or an armed robbery in progress. The department will not release details about the kind and quantity of tactical gear they possess, citing public safety concerns. (See more about police inventories at my blog.)
