AR-15s, Hundreds of thousands of rounds, pistols, pedestal-mounted machine guns, submachine guns, military drones, 40mm launchers, shotguns, and explosives are filling our colleges, turning them into student-run armories. A CalMatters investigation published July 8, 2026, has spotlighted the military-grade arsenals held by many California public college police departments. Over 25 campuses own a plethora of semi-automatic rifles such as AR-15s, while departments collectively stock thousands of pepper-spray munitions and hundreds of thousands of rifle rounds. Some also possess stun grenades, long-range acoustic devices (LRADs, dubbed the “voice of God”), and drones.
OBTW – Your children’s collegiate tuition includes the purchase and maintenance of a well-stocked military weapons armory on campus.
California’s 2021 law allows campus police to acquire such equipment only when no reasonable alternative exists to protect civilian safety. It requires annual use policies, inventories, and public forums for transparency. Yet the review of all 148 public campuses in the community college, UC, and Cal State systems found widespread compliance gaps and a lack of accountability.
- What is the running inventory?
- Are the Rent-A-Cop college police trained in college combat?
- Are the vast amounts of weapons, explosives, drones, and munitions under lock and key?
- Why are liberal anti-Gun colleges the most armed with extremely deadly weapons?
At Compton College, semi-automatic rifles have been standard issue. Sniper Rifles provide superior range, accuracy, and stopping power for active-shooter or high-threat scenarios.
Crowd control is another key use. UCLA deployed LRADs 71 times in the 2024-25 academic year for protests and assemblies. UC Santa Cruz used acoustic devices during the 2024 encampments. Drones aid emergency oversight.
Campus Police argue these tools enable effective communication and response without immediate physical confrontation. OBTW – since when are high-powered AR-15 and combat weapons ‘tools’ and not called for what they are: military-grade combat weapons?
Concerns include potential excessive force, risks to hearing from LRADs, and the use of tuition funds for military gear. Unauthorized items—like tear gas grenades and a submachine gun at San Jose State—have also drawn scrutiny.
Following the investigation, several institutions acted swiftly. San Jose State plans to destroy unauthorized weapons, which is code-talk for ‘old rusty shit’. Others are updating policies, reducing inventories to operational needs, and scheduling forums. Cal State is holding a powerful committee meeting to discuss the use of combat-grade weapons, but one member is arguing that they are not needed at all!
But wait a minute: if there is a major issue that requires weapons, then call in the local police, State police, and the National Guard! (……unless they have been defunded)