As agencies around the state prepare for the concealed carry law, effective today, the University of Wisconsin System updated police training and reiterated that weapons are prohibited in university buildings on campuses across the state.

According to UW Assistant Chief of Police Brian Bridges, concealed guns will not be permitted in buildings on the UW campus when the law goes into effect Tuesday, with the exception of police officers.

UWPD Sgt. Aaron Chapin said exceptions to the policy under special circumstances will be considered by the chancellor or other officials and will be decided on a case-by-case basis. 

Bridges said the possession of weapons will be allowed in both parking lots and on campus grounds. Under the state statue, Bridges said firearms will also be permitted on the grounds surrounding Camp Randall, but the stadium itself is considered a campus building and concealed carry will be prohibited there.

“It’s a complex law, and it’s a significant change from how it’s been for 150 years,” Bridges said. “There might be some confusion at the start, but the signs are in place, it’s been covered in the media and we’ll work with whatever comes our way to make sure that people’s constitutional and statutory rights are observed and community safety is maintained.”

UW System spokesperson David Giroux said prior to the approval of the concealed carry law, the UW System had an administrative rule that banned all weapons from campus grounds. 

Giroux said with the passage of the new law, universities are unable to prohibit concealed weapons on campus grounds because the law overrides provisions of the administrative rule.

According to Giroux, the statute requires UW campuses to post signs at each building entrance in order to continue to prohibit weapons in the facilities.

“Since the passage of this law, we’ve been posting signs at thousands of entrances of buildings across the state so we can continue to prohibit dangerous weapons from university buildings, as they have been banned for years and years,” he said.

Giroux estimated nearly 12,000 signs have been posted to prohibit weapons in university buildings.

The university system also updated their employee manuals, residence hall contracts and police and security officer training to address the concealed carry law, Giroux said.

“All of this work is being done with an eye toward maintaining safe learning and living environments for our students,” Giroux said.

UW Police Chief Sue Riseling said university police officers have prepared for a wide array of situations relating to carrying concealed weapons.

According to Riseling and Chapin, police officers have been trained on the different tactics to use when approaching both a threatening individual in possession of a weapon and when approaching an individual who simply possesses a weapon.

“We trained our officers on what the different types of responses are based on the facts at hand, and our officers will react appropriately based on the situation they are faced with,” Chapin said.

Riseling said should students witness an individual carrying a gun within a campus building, they should call the police. Students who see someone with a gun on campus grounds and are uncomfortable with the individual’s behavior are encouraged to contact the police as well.