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Pepper spray banned on MSU's campus, but many students may not be aware

July 20, 2014

All weapons — including chemical substances — are banned on campus, according to an ordinance set by the Board of Trustees in the 1960s.

Ordinance 18.00 Firearms or Weapons, which was first enacted Sept. 15, 1964 and was last amended June 19, 2009, specifically bans the use of firearms, chemical, biological, radioactive or other dangerous substances to injure, molest, or coerce another person.

Students concerned with protecting themselves on campus have to resort to other means when walking alone, because under the ordinance pepper spray is not permitted.

Not all students abide by the ordinance, however. Pepper spray, or Mace, is relatively inexpensive and can be found in most supermarkets. Some brands have even designed it as a keychain. It’s not uncommon to see female students on campus with pink canisters of pepper spray hanging alongside their keys.

Some students feel the need to carry pepper spray outweighs the regulation against it, but many students aren’t aware it’s an illegal substance under the ordinance. All of those students could face consequences if they’re caught, even if they carry it to protect themselves.

A necessary evil?

MSU spokesman Jason Cody said in an email if a student is caught carrying Mace, he or she would face penalties — either from law enforcement or from the campus judicial system. The ordinance itself states anyone failing to comply will be guilty of a misdemeanor and may be fined $100 and possibly imprisoned for 90 days.

Recent MSU alumna Jessica Smith said knowing pepper spray is illegal under the ordinance would not stop her from carrying it on campus if she felt the need for it.

“There (are) so many people on campus and there have been cases of people being attacked on campus at like 4 o’clock in the afternoon, in broad daylight,” she said.

Smith acknowledges safety concerns exist with pepper spray if it were misused or sprayed accidentally, but she doesn’t think it should be banned.

“I think if they want to take extra precautions, they should require girls take a safety class,” she said.

Smith said she uses basic precautions if she has to walk anywhere alone, but she said those precautions aren’t tailored to MSU.

“I mean, (with) 50,000 people on campus ... it’s likely for something to happen, you know? With that many people you’re going to get a few bad seeds, but I don’t feel any more or less safe than I would at home,” Smith said.

Associate Director of Student Life Rick Shafer, who is in charge of Judicial Affairs, could not be reached for comment on what internal consequences might be.

But Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said if a student is caught with pepper spray by police, it would be confiscated by campus police. She also said if an incident with Mace doesn’t occur, police wouldn’t know a student was carrying it.

Zoology junior Ryan Grady said he didn’t know pepper spray was banned on campus, but said he could see why it might pose a problem.

“It might be misused and people could get hurt more easily by having it permitted, but I’ve never thought it was a dangerous weapon to have,” Grady said.

He doesn’t carry any sort of personal protection, but said he has a lot of female friends who carry pepper spray. Grady said the university should make it more known the substance is illegal because he doesn’t think many people know.

Grady said there should be consequences for people having pepper spray only if it wasn’t being used in self-defense, but it would depend on the situation.

Finding alternatives

Media and Information senior Joseph Armanini said students should be allowed to carry pepper spray because he doesn’t know what else they could use.

He said he thinks police should just confiscate the pepper spray if they catch someone with it and save the fines for parking.

“If it’s a 90-pound girl facing a 200-pound guy attacking her, she needs pepper spray or something to deflect him,” he said.

Armanini also said pepper spray allows a person to avoid actual body-to-body contact.

But McGlothian-Taylor disagrees.

“What if you had Mace or something and you pulled it out and the person overpowered you and used it against you?” she said.

Instead, McGlothian-Taylor said individuals are encouraged to walk together in groups rather than walking alone. If a student must walk alone, they should stick to well-lit areas, be aware of their surroundings and refrain from wearing headphones.

She said people should carry themselves in a manner showing they are alert to what might be taking place around them and something as simple as making eye contact with people could prevent an attack.

“Individuals tend to not want to attack people if they know you can recognize them,” McGlothian-Taylor said.

McGlothian-Taylor added MSU offers self-defense classes through the IM Sports facilities, another alternative to pepper spray. Self-defense classes are also offered in residence halls, according to McGlothian-Taylor.

“There (are) other things you can use to protect yourself from attackers. There (are) ... alarms that people can use. They make a really loud sound to draw attention,” McGlothian-Taylor said. “Individuals can (also) protect themselves in terms of how they carry their keys.”

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