Safety Department Officers\u27 Perceptions: Concealed Carry and the Imposed Risk on Campus

A small number of studies have explored community college safety officers’ perceptions regarding concealed carry on campuses. This understudied topic demands attention as the number of concealed handgun permits increased nationally for the third year in a row (Crime Prevention Research Center, 2021). Data suggests that within the 34 states that require a concealed carry permit, the number of Americans carrying stands at 18.66 million, a 304% increase since 2007 (Crime Prevention Research Center, 2021). As a result of recent state legislation and court decisions, ten states have provisions allowing for concealed carry on public campuses of higher education: Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Using the Routine Activities Theory alongside Theory of Mind and qualitative methods, the purpose of this study was to gather information about how safety department officers at one community college perceived concealed carry and the imposed risk on campus