UW police urge lawmakers not to allow weapons in buildings

MADISON — Police who protect the University of Wisconsin's flagship campus in Madison are urging state lawmakers not to allow concealed weapons to be carried into campus buildings.

UW-Madison Police spokesman Marc Lovicott issued a statement Tuesday coming out against the bill circulated Monday by Republican lawmakers.

Under current law, license holders can carry guns on the grounds of public colleges and universities but they are barred in campus buildings.

Lovicott says the campus would not be safer if firearms were allowed in the buildings. He says, "Allowing concealed weapons inside a building like Camp Randall Stadium, filled with 80,000 people, creates a major security issue."

Gov. Scott Walker sent signals Tuesday he supports the measure, saying the real threat is not people with permits to legally carry concealed weapons.