PUEBLO – Colorado State University’s Board of Governors voted unanimously this morning to ban concealed weapons at its campuses in Fort Collins and Pueblo.

The resolution passed with no comments from the board members.

Prior to the vote critics of Colorado State University’s proposed gun control ban — which includes licensed concealed weapons — said this morning that the new policy would increase crime and draw lawsuits.

Schools that have banned concealed weapons on campus, including the University of Colorado, have seen crime jump because of the restriction, CSU history major Brady Allen told the CSU Board of Governors this morning.

By comparison, major crime at CSU — where concealed weapons are allowed — has been low or virtually non-existent, Allen said.

“This risk is not with the concealed weapons holder but with those who want to commit crime,” Allen said.

Gun rights groups had threatened to sue the university if the policy is passed.

The policy bans all firearms on campus, including guns held by people with concealed weapons permits. It includes items such as handguns, shotguns, rifles, bows, crossbows, Tasers, stun guns, pellet guns, machine guns, grenades and blasting caps.

The policy is effectively an extension of the current policy that prohibits weapons in residence halls. The policy extend those regulations to the entire campus with some exceptions.

CSU is one of the few colleges in the United States that did not have a concealed weapons ban.

CSU parent Brad Deats told the board this morning, CSU can expect to spend a lot of money defending the new policy if it passes.

“We should ask the state how much it will cost to defend CSU if this policy is enacted,” Deats said.

Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com