pepper spray

[crazymjb]

At Umass it is very easy to get permission for pepper spray. I have heard of people getting written permission a few other places but don't remember off the top of my head which schools these were. And since I am not a lawyer, my advice as NOT A LAWYER, would be if you have a daughter at a school that doesn't give her permission to carry pepper spray, get it for her and have her carry it anyway and shut-up about it. Also, make sure she has an idea of how to use it, and an idea about other things she can do to keep herself safe. There's a point where you go from letting the law/rules go from inconveniencing you to actually really hindering your ability to protect yourself.

Mike

 

[Pete85]

But, she can't have it on any school/college property in MA!

For colleges, permission to carry mace isn't difficult to get. When I was at UMass, during orientation they actually handed out the form you need to fill out to anyone who requested it. That orientation was nearly 9 years ago though, so I don't know if they still do that.

 

[Len-2A Training]

I know of another very large college in Boston that prosecutes co-eds found with OC!!

Not easy in Boston/Brookline/Newton/Cambridge to get that permission.

I worked PT for one such college and their PD prosecutor is a personal friend. He and I have had some rather heated arguments about this. I believe that co-eds should be able to carry chemical sprays w/o permits/permission as long as they use them responsibly. But IANAL and I don't make the laws.

 

[richc]

IIRC in Nova Scotia pepper spray is illegal. However bear spray is perfectly legal and sold in many stores...

Seriously!

 

[crazymjb]

Yea, I find it ironic that lawyers take ethics exams. I consider my father a relatively "ethical" person as do most who meet him, which is one of the reasons why he gtfo of the prosecutors office and moved to criminal defense.

I always think back to my friends crazy ex who was a prosecutor in NYC. I asked her if she let political pressure effect who she charges with what. She said no. So I asked her if a woman who had been raped in the past was caught with a revolver she legally owned on her person in the city what she would do. Her answer, throw the book at her, everyone with a gun in NYC is a criminal. She was actually very passionately in support of her position.

Mike