At Binghamton University, campus police are not the only ones who have an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. Students and visitors on campus have a collection of their own, too.
For years, Binghamton’s New York State University Police have confiscated all sorts of weapons from students, from knives to BB guns to battle axes. Traditionally these weapons are found during room searches, traffic stops or if said weapons are used to commit a crime.
“The people who get them [the weapons] confiscated don’t usually get them back,” said Investigator Matthew C. Rossie of Binghamton’s New York State University Police. “A lot of them are used in training programs, so that cops can see what’s out there.”
There are two cases where a weapon can be confiscated permanently: if it is used in a crime or if it is illegal to possess. Though owning certain types of blades and firearms constitutes a federal offense, there are some weapons that are illegal to possess only on BU’s campus. Small knives, like pocket knives, are an example, though they can be reclaimed by the student at the semester’s end.
On-campus police showed Pipe Dream some of the weapons they have confiscated recently. A big contribution to this collection came from the numerous drug busts that occurred in February of this year in which, among other things, a cardboard box containing over 30 knives was found.
“The guy who owned that [cardboard box] was selling marijuana and knives,” Rossie said.
THE WEAPONS:
The following were found during the drug busts. Most of these weapons were found in Nyack Hall in Hillside Community and Broome Hall in Newing College.
– Fishing Knife
– Hunting Knife
“This one is kind of old-fashioned,” Rossie said. “A lot of outdoors enthusiasts use these.”
– SWAT Knife
This one is made by Gerber, a popular manufacturer of knives for police and the armed forces.
– Buck Knife
– Lock Knife
Found in Whitney Hall in Dickinson Community during an alcohol call:
– Multi-tool
Though not technically a knife, it has a blade attachment on the side.
Airsoft Guns:
– Ruger 10-22
This rifle has a cylinder clip that holds 10 pellets and was estimated to cost around $179. More expensive and realistic models of this gun could cost hundreds more, up to over $1,000. It was seized when it was found in a student’s trunk — apparently he found it while dumpster diving.
– Cleveland Hall in Hinman College
An airsoft pistol with an orange tip — this was found during a drug call. According to Rossie, it was not the only BB gun found on the premises.
Also seen:
– Airsoft Pistol (Filed Tip)
This airsoft gun does not have the traditional orange tip they come with — the owner filed it off.
“You don’t want to do that,” Rossie said, “because if a cop sees you with one of these, he has every reason to think it’s real. It even sounds real.”
This gun, as well as a cache of marijuana, was in the glove compartment at a sobriety checkpoint. Though all students in the vehicle were charged for the drugs, the owner was not charged for the airsoft gun.
– Paintball Gun
This pistol is recognizable as a paintball gun due to the hole in the side that would normally hold the paintball canister. Students are not allowed to have paintball guns on campus, but they can get it back from the station so long as they are not charged with a crime.
In Evidence: There were some weapons that the police couldn’t show us, because they are still being processed.
– Cane Sword
This is literally a sword that is encased in a cane, and can be drawn at will. One of these can be seen in the movie “Blind Swordsman.”
– ASP Expandable Baton
Found in a female student’s bag during a search in the West Gym as the student was entering a concert. This baton is similar to the one that many police officers carry.
– 3-foot side-handled knife
– 12-inch saber blade
– 10-inch bowie knife
– BB gun handgun
Found in a room check over winter break.