Oakland University Handing Out Hockey Pucks To Fight Active Shooters
OutdoorHub Reporters 11.28.18
Nope, this is no joke. In fact, it’s not funny at all. Oakland University, located in Southeast Michigan, decided to arm their students and faculty with hockey pucks in an effort to protect themselves from an active shooter situation.
The idea came from the campus police Chief Mark B. Gordon, who said it came to him during a campus security training. When Gordon was asked by a faculty member what they could do to stop an active shooter, he told them to be ready to throw something.
Why hockey pucks?
“It was just kind of a spur-of-the-moment idea that seemed to have some merit to it and it kind of caught on,” Gordon said according to the Detroit Free Press.
And just like that, Tom Discenna, a professor of communications and president of the faculty union, launched a union effort to purchase 2,500, 94-cent hockey pucks. 800 would be distributed to union members and another 1,700 for students.
“It’s just the idea of having something, a reminder that you’re not powerless and you’re not helpless in the classroom,” Discenna said.
The irony behind this whole idea, however, is that the little black discs could actually be in violation of the University’s own policy. Below is the specific language from OU’s campus policy.
7.02 Weapons and Explosives. No person shall possess a pistol or any other firearm, dangerous weapon, weapon, explosive or incendiary device on the campus provided, however, that the occupants of single family residences in the Meadow Brook subdivision and non-student University residences may possess firearms as permitted by law. A weapon is any object designed to cause physical injury or any other object capable of causing physical injury or death. A dangerous weapon is any weapon designed to be dangerous and capable of causing death or serious bodily harm, or any other object capable of causing death or serious bodily harm that is used as a weapon. Items presumed to be dangerous weapons include, but are not limited to, daggers, dirks, stilettos, blackjacks, billies, metallic knuckles, bludgeons, ninja stars, and pocket knives opened by mechanical device. This section shall not be applicable to the authorized display of fireworks or cannon fire at events approved by the President or a designee.
Look, we get Detroit is known as “Hockey Town” and all, but we’d suggest a review of their firearms policy before turning to hockey pucks for self defense. And for the students; always be aware of your surroundings and be prepared.
What do you think about this approach? Is OU really trying to prepare their students to defend themselves or giving them a false sense of security? Let us know in the comments below.
