University Police Laser Confiscation

University police are almost always real police in my experience as well, not rent-a-cops.

At my old university, they were also a lower grade of officer in my opinion. Couldn't get into the highway patrol, couldn't get into the city police, couldn't get into the county sheriff's department, so they worked for the university and just made people's lives hard.

It's the exact opposite at my current university though, the campus police are MUCH better than the sheriff's deputies that have jurisdiction all around campus here. The sheriff's deputies seem to enjoy making student's lives hard, but the campus police are overall pretty great here.

Either way, don't argue too hard with a real cop. Don't let them trample your rights, but it seems likely they were well within your rights to temporarily confiscate your laser. At least it was temporary, seems like they didn't handle it too bad (insulting your intelligence notwithstanding).

The ones I worked with were world class. Far better trained and equipped then the 300 member city police force that surrounded the campus. Keep in mind it is NOT the goal of the university cops to ruin your academic career, far from it. However with all the added responsibilities of being officers around the latest trends learned from being young and having access to unlimited university grade internet, they are going to be one. Very proactive, two. very well informed about technology. three. tolerant of mistakes, but not that tolerant. four, Well tied into various other government agencies, especially if its a research campus or has lots of foreign students.

Steve

Update, went by the police station today and met with the Chief to get my laser back. He was very respectful and informed that although I may handle the laser safety even a single mistake could lead to civil and criminal problems for both the university and myself, and that it would just be best to keep it off campus.


Laser was in working order with nothing disturbed as I could see. My label covers the top of the laser so you can unscrew it without messing up the label, Still caused black leather to smoke on contact and looks about the same brightness So I assume its fine.

So everything ended up well, I'll be keeping my lasers indoors or at least a good ways from campus.

Well that is good news all's well that ends well.
University PD at WSU are also top notch!

Awesome Bud good for you. Good Outcome :beer:

It seems like laser paranoia is on the rise. I've use my 35 mW greenie at college for two years and never had any run-ins with the law. Of course, a 35 mW laser is nothing like a 1 W one, but it was still quite visible on a fresh set of batteries.