Last month, a new firearm statute went into effect in Maine. Because of that change, I wanted to reiterate our campus policy at Bates. While the State of Maine has changed some provisions of its firearms laws, our policy has not changed. Bates remains steadfast in our policy banning guns on our campus.

Weapons prohibited on campus include, but are not limited to firearms, ammunition, BB – pellet or air guns, knives, and slingshots.

Possession of these weapons on campus is prohibited. Like many colleges and universities, we allow students who own firearms for sportsmanship to register and store their firearms at Security. Students may sign out their firearms from Security for use off-campus.

To keep our campus as safe as possible, Bates has comprehensive communications systems in place and strong ties with local law enforcement. We also have a wide network of blue emergency phones and centralized access controls for many exterior doors. Further, the Security and Campus Safety webpage features important safety information on a variety of topics, including protocol to deal with an active shooter scenario.

Please feel free to reach out to Security with any questions or concerns you may have. We are here to help.